I Will Follow You into the Dark
by bonbonpich
Summary: RikuSora. After returning to their home, Riku was lost, with his feelings for Sora. While Sora couldn’t really grasp anything, Riku was full of self-doubt as he became distant and yet again drawn to darkness. However, this time, Sora wouldn’t let him go.
1. Ch1 I Will Follow You into the Dark

**Title: **I Will Follow You into the Dark

**By:** BonBonPich

**Disclaimer:** KH belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. The lyric: "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" belongs to Death Cab for Cutie

**Special Thanks** to XShootingStarX for beta-reading (current chapter).

**Note: **Comments and reviews are greatly appreciated.

**Chapter I: I Will Follow You into the Dark**

REVISED 11/06/11

X

_Love of mine some day you will die  
But I'll be close behind  
I'll follow you into the dark_

X

He twisted and turned, fidgeting in his bed. He just couldn't bring himself to sleep tonight, regardless of how tired and worn out he was.

Sora finally heaved a long sigh as he laced his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. He wondered why he couldn't sleep; there was nothing to worry about. The journey had ended after they had defeated Xemnas and brought peace to the worlds once again. Moreover, his friends and he could finally return home and get back to their normal lives.

His blue eyes traveled to the side of his bed, outside the window was the dark night that covered Destiny Island. As he gazed out at the night, he swiftly sprung himself off the bed and moved to the window.

The scene before him was…normal.

Regardless, Sora found himself restless as he leaned upon the window sills and stared out into the night. His eyes widened slightly as he realized what had been troubling him so much that he couldn't sleep. He turned to the edge of the bed, then pulled on his shoes.

After making sure that he wouldn't be seen by his parents, he leapt off the window and left the house.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Riku tried to sleep, convincing himself he should be grateful for at last he was home and was finally able to sleep in such a comfortable bed. It had been a year since he had spent his life in the cold darkness, never being able to see the light. Being blindfolded and turned into something…or rather someone he came to hate.

He didn't regret it though. By using the power of darkness within him, he had fulfilled his intention of getting a certain someone to finally wake up from the long sleep.

The silver-haired boy laid on his back and raised one hand up above him. He stared at his hand and let out a long sighed. "I'm still…me."

He thought again and couldn't quite believe that he would ever see this day. After all, he didn't mean his friend to find him. When he was in the dark, he only thought that everything would be fine as long as his two best friends were saved, not caring if he had to continue residing in the dark.

He had imagined how it would be to spend all the rest of his life that way.

His aquamarine eyes grew darker at the thought. But before he could drown himself in the abyss, his best friend's words came back to him.

'_I looked everywhere for you…'_

Riku's eyes slipped close.

'_You're still Riku no matter what…'_

The boy opened his eyes again and allowed a small smile grace his lips.

He laid unable to sleep for a few minutes before he heard a soft ticking sound coming from the window. Riku glared at the side, to the direction, frowning. There was nothing at the window, just the leaves of a tree barely rustling against it. He turned his attention back on the ceiling of his room.

Tick!

There was another sound. Riku turned to the window, again seeing nothing. He twitched a little, thinking he was just hearing something that wasn't there. He inaudibly cursed that now he was having trouble with taking everything into caution. He had spent a whole year of his life living just like that after all.

Tick!

And the third _tick_ had ticked him off; he rolled to the side, back turning to the window. Focusing on trying to sleep, he tried to forget everything else.

"…ku!"

'…_That voice again.' _Riku thought about how the voice sounded so similar to what he had always heard it in his mind back then. But he didn'tt need it now. Because he knew the voice belonged to someone that was already real in front of him. "Sleep, sleep…" He mumbled to himself.

"Riku!"

His eyes snapped open. It seemed that he could never really resist that voice, no matter it be a visage or real. He finally got himself up from the bed, rubbing at the back of his neck and started pacing to the window, expecting to see nothing there. He believed it was just the same old thing that happened to him from time to time, hearing his best friend's voice.

Riku didn't look out the window first; he reached for the handle and opened it right away, just to make sure with everything. For he expected to see nothing, he was surprised to catch a sight of what looked like a small bundle on the bough. The light hadn't been providing enough to let him see what exactly was there.

In a slight second, he would have thought of something bad coming from the dark. He always did, and it was becoming a habit to become aware of anything and everything. Somehow, this time it felt different. His point was proved when he was snapped out of it when a voice clearly called out to him.

"RIKU!"

Riku bent over the window sills to get a better look, he saw the familiar face there despite the darkness that surrounded him.

"Sora?" He called out.

"How long were you going to let me continue calling for!" The brunet frowned.

Riku only stared at the other boy. "Sora, what are you doing here at this time?"

Riku didn't have to spare a glance at the tickling clock; it was past nine already. He wondered why his brunet friend has to come at such hours.

The younger of the two didn't reply, instead he steadied himself and jumped off the tree, leaping through the chill air to close the gap between Riku's open window and the tree. His feet landed on the side of Riku's house and his arms clutched on the window sills. He could have fallen if the other boy hadn't grabbed his arms and pulled him up

Riku supported Sora as the smaller one finally picked himself up to climb through the window, and into the room.

"Will you at least tell me first before you do that?" Riku spoke off, confused at the boy's action. "And you know my house has doors."

The brunet faltered a little and looked at his friend, his index finger scratched his cheek as in slight embarrassment. "Well, Riku. I used to do that all the time when we were young, didn't I?"

Riku was taken aback by that. He thought for a second as he stood up and realized it. There was a time when Sora couldn't wait till someone come to open the front door for him, he would just climbed up the tree next to Riku's room and shouted for his friend to open up and jump. Riku himself had done the same, although on rare occasions.

"Uh…yeah." He looked to the side then back at the brunet again. "So…want to start explaining why you came at this hour? Can't sleep at night, eh?"

Sky blue eyes looked at him, thoughtful. Then Sora nodded; his eyes on the ground.

Riku tilted his head to the side, studying his friend. Normally Sora never looked down; the boy would have started jumping around and chatting by now.

"Anything wrong?" The silver-haired boy asked, starting to get concerned.

That was when Sora looked up and peered at him for a long while until Riku thought he could not handle the stare anymore. Sora's blue eyes were intense, to say the least. Riku shifted his eyes to the side, avoiding the gaze.

_When is it that he couldn't stand Sora's gaze?_

Sora read his friend's reaction in the wrong way and mumbled, "Sorry, if I disturbed you."

Riku's eyes darted back to glance at his friend, he walked back to the bed and seated himself. "No, you didn't." He went quiet for a while before revealing, "I can't sleep too."

"You can't?" Sora looked up.

"Yeah. I was so tired that my limbs could fall off, after that last battle and all. Still I couldn't bring myself to sleep." Riku smiled at Sora. "Are you going to stand there forever?"

The brunet gave a sheepish grin before he scooted closer and plopped himself down on the carpet neared the bed. It was typical of him to settle himself anywhere besides anything that served as an object to sit on.

A long silence enveloped them before Riku broke it.

"Amazing…and weird at the same time, isn't it?" The boy sitting on the bed pondered aloud. "To have today. Kairi, you, and I back on Destiny Island. All our friends: Selphie, Tidus, Wakka, and our parents just remembered us as if we'd only gone yesterday."

Cruel as it might seem. Apparently, everyone, including their parents, had totally forgotten about them in a past year. No one had ever talked about them, as if they had never existed. Even Kairi just started to recall about them only when Sora was about to wake up from his long sleep. Sora and Riku couldn't blame anyone or felt bad about it. It was for the best, that Namine had put it that way.

Sora had not much an idea of how it happened. He felt Riku know the answer, but Sora didn't really push for details. He knew at least Riku and he remembered them.

It would be the way it should be as if the two of them had never gone from here. Despite how much they'd both grown during a year of their nonexistence, no one would ever question them about it, thanks to Namine for her chain of memories.

After all, no one had ever remembered what happened at the Island a year ago when the Heartless took over the Island.

"It's good to be back at home, I just realized." Riku answered and asked. "Shouldn't you be with your parents now? You've been away from them for a year."

Sora glanced at Riku skeptically and wore a faint smile. "Hey, that's the same thing that happened between us."

Surprised, Riku studied Sora. He had no idea that Sora thought about him that much. Well, and the boy didn't know that he was the only one that never saw his friend in a year. On the other hand, as Sora slept, Riku always watched him.

Riku cleared his throat. "But you could use a nap, we have school tomorrow."

That had snapped Sora

"Oww, so we have to go to school right away tomorrow." Sora heaved a big sigh. "Even after the battle just yesterday."

Riku let out a soft chuckle. "We have a lot to catch up on."

"Riku…"

"Yeah?"

"Are you feeling ok?" Sora asked without looking up at the other.

"I'm fine." Riku gave a short answer and looked down at the spiky-haired boy. He couldn't see the boy's expression, but he knew the other was…somewhat depressed. "I told you many times already, Sora. The dark power in me is gone, for the most part an I can control over what's left of it. What do you have to worry about?"

Rhetorical question he knew, his friend asked because he had a big heart, and would often worry about others, especially a best friend who had once turned to a rival because of the darkness. How could one not be worried?

"I…was afraid, Riku.." Sora whispered.

Riku glanced down towards his friend again. "Of what?"

"….You…going away." The smaller boy revealed as he brought his knees up and rested his chin over it, arms draping around his knees. "When I tried to sleep, I looked out at the night, and I was afraid of you going into the darkness."

The older boy bent downward so he could see more of Sora's face. "That's why you came here."

Sora nodded.

Followed by a long silence, Sora suddenly felt arms draping over his neck, jolting him from his moping. Riku's hand knuckling at Sora's head, while his other arm had Sora in a death grip. "Ack…Ri…Riku!" The boy clutched at his friend's arms, trying not to suffocate. But he did laugh a little at the familiar action that Riku used to do when they were younger. Finally he got out off the grip and turned, his spiky hair disarrayed.

"You felt that?" Riku asked through his soft laughter.

"Who won't!" Sora retorted, as he tried to brush his hair back in position.

"Good, then I'm not a ghost or anything." Riku stated, smiling into space. Then he slid down from the bed and sat on the carpet beside Sora instead, gazing out the window. "I'm right here."

Sora looked up at his friend. Riku was right in front of him, what more could he ask for? He finally let out a smile "Yeah, you're right."

"Sora…"

"Huh?"

Riku turned and looked directly into the clear blue eyes. "I'm…sorry." Riku closed his eyes in dismay as he tilted his head back, hanging his head low.

"For what?" The brunet still had his eyes on Riku as he asked bemusedly. "Where's this coming from anyway?"

The silver-haired boy's eyes snapped a little wider as he tilted his head back and glared at the other boy. The look on Sora's eyes made him even more dumbfounded.

"Sora, don't tell me you don't know what I mean." Riku let one of his knees falls to the side as he bent towards Sora.

Sora shook his head, spiky bangs swayed from side to side. "Na-ah."

The older of the two stared at the other unbelievingly as he leaned back against the bedside and brought his hand to clutch his temple. Riku was disarrayed by that. "Geez, Sora…you're such…a dumb wit."

"WHAT?" Sora shouted heatedly, blue eyes twitching. "Out of nowhere, you just insult me? How am I supposed to know what you're talking about?" He was about to say more when Riku moved his hand down from his face, eyes darkened in distraught expression.

"For what I've done to you…back there." Riku breathed out.

"Huh?" Sora halted, and realized. "…oh."

Aquamarine eyes gazed out at the window again. "I'm…not asking for forgiveness or anything, I just…have to say it." His eyes turned gloomy once again. And that was when he got struck on the back of his head softly; he blinked at the smaller boy.

"I can't forgive…" The smaller boy glared up.

Riku felt his heart sank, he looked away, avoiding Sora's gaze. "I know…"

That was when Sora got up on his knees and reached to pull on Riku's collar slightly to drawing his friend's attention back to him. Riku stared in confusion at Sora's smirk.

"Because I never blamed you in the first place." The spiky-haired boy spoke as he let go of the other's collar and settled himself back down, satisfied at what he had said.

Riku absorbed in the words, but he just couldn't bring himself to accept it. "Sora, you didn't know that I was the one who called upon the darkness that destroyed Destiny Island a year ago."

"What?"

Riku looked down at the floor. "It was my hunger to see the other worlds so badly that I myself was the one who opened the door, allowing the darkness to take over our hometown. That night many people lost their hearts."

"That's not true…how…." Sora blurted out, finding it hard to believe.

"I have a thing towards darkness, Sora. The darkness was right there inside me since the beginning." Riku again brought his hands up, pointing at his chest dully. Back in the Castle of Oblivion, one of the Organization XIII told me so, I know it's not a lie."

Sora was speechless as he looked at his friend, he couldn't see Riku's expression as his silver haired obscured his face. Sky blue eyes dimmed as Sora let out. "Even if that's the case, Riku, you still shouldn't blame yourself…it's already been done enough. One year, Riku…one year you spent your life in darkness for it." Sora then brought both his hands in a fist, looking up at Riku in insistency. "You have done everything you can and everything is back to normal! So it's ok! Besides…"

Taking a glance at his friend, Riku caught a glimpse of sadness in Sora's eyes as the boy continued speaking.

"I always wanted to…apologize to you as well." Sora's gazed dropped, along with his insistent gesture.

"Hmm?" Riku raised his brow. What was there for Sora to apologize about?

"I wasn't…paying you enough attention back then…I mean…when we first reunited after being parted from the Island , all I did was show more interest in Keyblade, Donald and Goofy, Gummi Ship, and all." Sora declared guilt gnawing his features.

Riku raised his eyebrow, looking off. "You think I was jealous of you…"

The brunet head snapped to his friend. "No! What I mean is-"

"Sora. You're right." Riku cut him off easily. "I thought I'd always be the one to lead. But when you showed that you were stronger with your Keyblade and your new friends, I just thought that you didn't need me. When I didn't see Kairi, I just thought to myself that you were goofing around and didn't care much about her." He sighed. "And it was stupid of me to spare my ears to Maleficient's inciting about you…deserted me for new pals."

"You know, the only reason I went with Donald and Goofy was because they said I'd find you and Kairi." Sora explained. "Back then, if Donald didn't let you go on the Gummi Ship, I would have left them and went with you. But then, you were gone, so I...wait….you think I don't need you anymore?"

Riku glanced sideways. Right, back then he had _thought _that his best friend just didn't need him. He _wasn't _sure if he was that important to Sora anymore. That was the reason why he had always referred to Kairi first, when he had met Sora in other worlds back there.

Sora didn't get a response from his friend. He wanted to make it clear. "How can you think that, Riku! We're best friends, ever!"

Riku let out a delicate smile. "I know that now, just that I wasn't so sure earlier."

"I just wanted to become strong too. Riku, you're always one or more steps ahead of me. Sometimes you even have to stop and wait for me to catch up with you or you would give me a hand." The boy turned a little red at this confession that he would never have accepted and said out loud a year ago. "I've always wanted to catch up with you."

"Hmm?" Riku threw Sora a sideway glance, still catching the guilty blue eyes there. "I didn't know that. Just that I thought that we'd always fight."

Then Sora's eyes lit up as he beamed at his friend. "Nah, I think I always knew you'd fight alongside me even before the last battle yesterday. You know what, Riku?" Sora used his hands to get himself up as he stood and made a small pace about the room. Riku knew that his friend couldn't really sit still for long. "I have to thank you as well for back then where I fought Xehanort's Heartless, I didn't give up because you were there. I heard your voice mocking me about giving up already."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment or what?" Riku countered.

Sora smiled a toothy grin at his friend. "I used to think that you mocked me and I didn't like it. Later, it came to give me strength whenever I was about to fall. Guess I did need you after all."

Oceanic eyes blinked as his pale skin changed color. "What an unexpected thing to hear from you." He said in neutral air, although his mind didn't feel the same way as his voice sounded.

"I meant it!" Seeing the other has not much interest in what he was talking about, Sora raised his voice.

"Same goes here too." Riku whispered.

"Huh?"

Then Riku let out a chuckle as Sora didn't quite catch it. "I heard your voice all along during the year that I spent my time living in the darkness. I might be hallucinating myself." He had seen Sora sleeping in Namine's memory restoring contraption, how come he heard Sora's voice calling out to him? That he wasn't sure. He thought it was only a figment of his imagination, but the voice never left him.

It was annoying, yet comforting.

And that was the one thing that had kept him steadied on the line between light and dark; not falling into the depths of a total abyss.

Sora's eyes turned thoughtful. "I don't think you were hallucinating. It's strange…I was sleeping in that contraption, somehow I do recall myself calling you." After defeating Xehanort's Heartless, he knew that Kairi was back at the Island safely, but Riku…was still trapped in the dark.

He was the one who closed that door on Riku, having no choice but to do it. That was why he couldn't bring himself to cross that small gap that separated him and Kairi even though he knew that he could just go home with her and take care of her to fulfill Riku's last wish. Sora couldn't just do that, so he stayed in hopes of finding Riku once more. "I also thought it was a dream, because you never responded…" The brunet head dropped again.

"I didn't want to be found, didn't plan for things to turn out this way." He stretched his legs out and tilted his head upward.

"Riku! You're still saying that!" The boy snapped at the other, almost angrily. He'd stopped pacing about the room and turned squarely at his friend.

Surprised oceanic eyes met blue ones. "Well, I'm just answering your doubt."

"…You're…mean…" Sora's eyes were locked on the floor again, and he began to tremble.

Riku's eyes widened, this time he couldn't really keep his calmness at bay. "…So… Sora, are you going to cry again?" He asked without thinking, feeling like it wasn't him to stutter. He was about to get up and come to ease his friend.

But Sora got to him first. The brunet landed just right in front of Riku and yanked the other boy's collar. "Darn it! Riku! I'm not crying!" The smaller boy vented. "You want me to keep searching for you forever!"

Sora kept his hands in a tight fist around Riku's collar. "Sora…I just-"

"Do you know how it feels when I thought I was so close to finding you and being disappointed over and over again? I would follow you wherever you went, but that was because I had hope I could bring you home with me. And just when I found you, you just want to walk away!" The boy glared into Riku's shocked gaze.

Riku was speechless. And now that he had Sora's face so close to his, just a few inches away, he could tell that the other boy was holding back his tears. He tried to pry Sora's small hands off of his collar, but the other didn't budge.

"Riku…I will follow you even into the dark. Don't walk off without me again."

Oceanic eyes softened as they rested on the brown hair, unsure of what to say or do to the brunet that was literally half in his lap right now. He brought his hand and ruffled Sora's hair. With that, Sora's strength seemed to give out as he released the hold on Riku's collar, his head dropped, resting slightly on Riku's chest.

'_Let's go home together this time.' _That was what he had said to Sora before they opened the door to the last battle. Riku recalled Sora's bright eyes looking up at him and smiling cheerfully, nodding in enthusiasm. However, after the battle, he had doubts about going back anyway, but Sora insisted.

And even if the door to the light hadn't opened, Riku knew Sora was either going to keep looking for it, or stay in the dark with him. But they had managed to get back, which he had not expected to, and maybe that was why he still wasn't so sure of anything. But one thing he was certain of now was that Sora didn't dismiss him as he believed earlier. He thought Sora would be fine without him.

He was wrong.

As shocked as he was, the idea of Sora holding his hand, collapsing at his feet, and crying his heart out never came across Riku's mind. And that explained it all to him that Sora had done a lot more than he expected him to do. But then again, maybe Sora was thinking of the same thing of him.

After the train of thoughts, he tentatively pulled on Sora's shoulder and bent the boy back so he could look into the boy's face. "Sora."

Sora hadn't cried after all, but he was taking great pain not to.

"I didn't mean to. I'm sorry…" Riku reassured at last. "It was just…so weird to be back here." He confessed as he sighed softly. "Then again, it'll be Ok, if you're with me. I'll try not to speak of those things again."

Sora pulled back, collecting himself. "Not try, you _shouldn't _speak of those words again, or I'll kick your sorry ass."

The silver-haired boy laughed as he close the gap between him and Sora once again, pressing his forehead against the younger boy. Now why was he doing that? He couldn't quite tell.

"Riku?"

"Hmm?"

"Promise me you won't go anywhere without me again." Sora drew back and looked at Riku in the eyes, expression serious.

The older boy had known it. Both of them had always been serious about making and keeping promises, no matter how small they were, or with whom they made promises to. So far, they have not made each other such a promise.

Riku wasn't so sure about the darkness inside him. He could tell it was still there, might still be there for the rest of his life. But one certain thing was that he would never make a same mistake concerning Sora again. He had so much to make up for, although he knew Sora never ask him to. Now whatever Sora wanted, he was willing to give.

This promise might as well, was what he wanted.

He closed his eyes. "I promise."

Sora smiled from ear to ear, just like the time Riku had said he would go home with him. The younger of the two was seemingly satisfied as he finally came to realize about the position he was in. For only a briefest moment, Riku swore he'd seen the blush on Sora's cheeks before the boy had got off and turned around, standing, and laced his hands behind his head.

The silver-haired boy suddenly felt something inside of him twist for the lost of contact, and he frowned with slight confusion.

A long awkward silence ensured before Riku finally stood up from his spot and advanced to Sora, tapping the boy's shoulder. "Sora."

Sora turned; no more hints of red on his cheeks.

"How about a race?" The taller boy was up on his feet. "Let's see who'll get to the beach first."

"What? Now?" Sora's blue eyes bewildered, having not knowing what had abruptly gotten into his friend.

"I'm off!" Riku leapt off the open window.

"Ha! Hey!" Sora let out as he leaned over the window, looking down and seeing Riku had ran a few feet away. "You're cheating!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bright starts painted in contrast on the inky sky. Chill breezes swept everywhere, as they caused the only sound of wind humming into the night and leaves of the trees rustling. Other than that, everything was silent, except for the comforting sounds of waves getting nearer and nearer as the two boys ran towards it.

Riku would have been the one who reached the shoreline first with graceful steps if Sora hadn't jumped on his friend so hard that the taller one let out a surprising _'Erk'_ before both of them fell into the water a little further away which went well above their heads since Sora had put all his strength into that last dash.

As they both swept their head out of the water, Sora announced first of the results. "We've reached it at the same time!" At least, he had made sure that Riku wasn't the one who arrived at the finishing line first.

The older boy shook his head when he picked himself out of the water. "Geez, Sora, do you have to do that just to get even with me?"

Sora only started to laugh, steadying himself in the water.

A brief moment later, Riku laughed with him.

When both of them swept closer to the shore for at least a solid ground to stand on under the water, Riku had smirked. "You followed me."

"I guess I did."

Somehow, Riku knew that Sora wasn't thinking the same thing he was, what he had said back at the house. His smirk slipped into a smile. _That's just the way Sora is._

They had sat on the shore for a long while, their legs half in half out of the water. One thing that both Riku and Sora have in common was that, for them, in or out of water was the same. While others or their friends would have to get a proper swimming suit when they want to play with water and dried themselves right away after that, Riku and Sora had never been that way. Both boys could jump up and down, in and out of the water as if they could live with both on both dry land and under the ocean. Their friends even used to call them amphibians.

The two Keyblade wielders sat quietly, taking in the scent of the ocean, just like the last time they did on the other side. The difference was that they were back home now. They wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore.

"I wonder what Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey are doing," the brunet trailed off.

'_Tch.'_

"Riku, did you just made a noise?" Sora turned and met a moody Riku who keep quiet but his fuming face communicated.

"Jealous? That I'm talking about someone else?" Sora leaned in, having a small fun in teasing.

"Yeah."

Dumbstruck, Sora found himself stared with wide eyes at his friend.

"What." Riku stared back at the younger boy. "You said it yourself."

"But…" Sora drew back. "-I was only kidding."

"For your information, I'm serious." Riku pressed as he watched Sora's eyes shifted, thinking, and hardly might he add. He knew the younger one was wrecking his brain to interpret what was that all about. But it seemed answers wouldn't come easy to him. "Forget it, it's nothing." Riku turned his gaze back to the sea.

"Hmm…"

"…Maybe…Donald is with Daisy. Goofy's sleeping in the garden. And King Mickey's with Queen Minnie…" He finally commented, easing the earlier tension. "I think, they left as soon as they saw you back here safe and sound, for that."

"'_Saw us' _you mean." Sora mended as his blue eyes also settled upon the sea. "It's a little quiet without them around. But I guess I'm OK with that. They're back together like I'm back with you and Kairi."

Riku gave a sideway glance, studying his friend.

And that was when Sora had at last came up with something.

"Riku!" He blurted out, standing up abruptly. Riku caught the excitement in the younger boy's voice. "Why don't we go on another journey! To the other worlds out there! Just the two of us!"

Riku blinked up at the last statement that Sora made. From the look on Sora's face at the moment, he knew Sora too, was puzzled by what he had just said.

'_Just the two of us?'_

But the older boy brushed that aside, asking the more obvious. "You and I both have been all over the worlds out there, haven't we? And as the worlds are already locked, we can't get to the other worlds, can we?"

Riku was amused to see the brunet was taken aback by that. However, Sora took one closer step and insisted on. "Aww! Come on, Riku! Didn't you always say that when we grow up, we'll go on a real adventure? There must be a way. And I bet there are still many other worlds out there that we haven't seen!" Sora stooped down to his friend's level again. "This time we'll go together!"

Riku stared at the smaller boy for quite a while; he closed his eyes, and curved his lips upwards at last. "Sounds great, Sora." And as he expected, the blue-eyed boy threw him another toothy grin of contentedness.

"Right! Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, I'll write to the king. We'll find a way to go to the other worlds, through any means!" Sora fisted one of his hands, looking determined.

"Hmm?" Riku scrunched his eyebrows. "Don't we have to go to school tomorrow?"

"School!" Sora's head and shoulders dropped. "I totally forgot…"

Oceanic eyes shifted back to his friend. _Forgot?_ He thought about how Sora could forget such palpable thing. It wasn't that Riku himself would love to go to school, but they had just came back to see their parents and friends. School was waiting for them. Somehow the older boy wasn't surprised that school would have been the last thing on Sora's mind.

"We can still write at break time or something." Riku altered, after getting a hint of his friend beginning to sulk.

"Yeah!" The smaller boy perked up leisurely again and rapidly yawned.

Riku hid his chuckle at that, thinking, _'that was so Sora,' _for getting excited in one moment that his energy gave out and began to yawn for a nap to recharge.

"Shouldn't you be getting back? Sleepy-head." Riku notified, realizing how late it was. It was two in the morning. He had hung out in the darkness for too long that he knew the exact hours of time just by looking at the moon and the night around him.

"Nah, they're even heavier sleepers than me." Sora began to rub his eyes with the back of his hand, he blinked sleepily. "Riku…"

"Yeah?"

"Your house is closer…I'm tired already…and sleepy…and I'm too lazy to walk home as my house is far from here." The brown-haired boy spoke groggily.

Riku had already known what this was leading to. Sora was using an excuse, his house wasn't really that far though.

"Can I stay overnight at your place?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

As soon as they both reached Riku's room, getting in by the still opened window, Sora crawled onto the thick carpet near the bed, and collapsed on it. "Hey, Sora, you can sleep on the bed."

"Nah, too lazy to move anymore." Sora replied, dazed.

And Riku was astonished that the boy could still respond and haven't fallen asleep right away as he used to do. He wondered how, wondered why.

"Neh, Riku…" Sleepy blue eyes gazed up at him. "Will I still see you when I wake up?"

Riku was astounded._' …That's why.' _He felt something warm in his heart, clashing against the cold darkness that was left inside of him. His eyes softened as they locked upon the brunet form. He paced to his friend's side and realizing his newfound feelings.

_That_ feeling now drove him to bend down towards the boy, one of his hands pressing on the carpet just to the side of Sora's ear.

Blue eyes only looked up at the boy above him drowsily, having no idea and not a doubt what the other was going to do. Suddenly, he was scooped up from the carpet by strong arms and was set on the bed instead. He blinked a few times before asking. "Riku? And where are you gonna sleep on?"

"You don't mind sharing, do you?" Without waiting for Sora's response, Riku crawled into the bed just beside the smaller boy. From the way Sora hasn't backed away, Riku had guessed that Sora's possible response, if he was going to, would have been, _'not at all.'_

They lay for a little while as Riku murmured. "G' Night,"

Sora had started again. "You still haven't answered my question, Riku."

Oceanic eyes cracked open again, when he tilted his head to the side, Sora's blue eyes was already on him. _'God, Sora, do you still have to ask? _He silently asked but altered to voice it out in another form as he rolled himself to the side, facing his friend. "I made a promise, didn't I?"

The smaller boy as well mirrored Riku's action, rolling to the side, facing Riku and nodded before he fell asleep after mumbling, "nite nite."

Riku watched the younger one fast asleep; finding peace in his unsettling mind. He heard lullaby instead of the chattering Heartless. The night was dark, but he wasn't alone. Now he could sleep without having to worry about waking up the next day to face the darkness once more as the light was right beside him now.

Light and dark.

It had always been the two of them together.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

to be continued…

**Note:** So? What do you think? Good? Bad?


	2. Interlude 0 : RikuSora : Missing

**Interlude : Riku and Sora : "Missing"**

From this chapter onwards: Special Thanks to Cetrasai for beta-reading!

This is a short piece that fills in the place in chapter one, where the two were at the ocean.

If you read the first chapter and read the first sentence in this chapter, you'll know.

X

"Can I stay overnight at your place?" Sora had asked.

Riku's unfocused eyes gazed over the ocean, and he took a moment to weigh his options.

_Sora had been away from his home for a year; shouldn't he be at home with his family? Sure his parents didn't even know about it, but still…_

"Can't I?"

When the silver-haired boy looked down, feeling the tug on the hem of his shirt, he only saw anxious blue eyes peering up at him.

He quirked an eyebrow, but immediately nodded.

A smile replaced an uneasy expression crossing Sora's features.

They were close; the result of Sora's plea, though Riku figured the boy probably didn't realize it, regarding it as an act of desperate measure. The older of the two wondered what sort of place he was in for the boy to plead with him. He had no place; he wasn't supposed to have a place in this, for what he'd done.

He slowly looked away and off to the ocean again, overcome by dark thoughts. Thankfully they were only momentary, as they were interrupted by a weight landing on him.

Oceanic eyes looked down again, this time seeing no eyes peering up at him, but a fuss of brown hair instead.

It took longer for him to register the awareness that they were not just close, they were  
touching.

Sora had his arms draped around the older boy's neck, his face buried in his chest.

Riku was stunned.

And the only sounds they heard were the ocean's waves breaking gently against the sand.

"So-Sora," Riku felt rather unlike himself as he stuttered, "W-what are you doing?"

The boy who was asked didn't answer and Riku knew all too well that Sora had no answer. Nevertheless, Riku knew the answer.

Compared to Sora, he wasn't slow concerning those sorts of things. He was a direct contrast to his friend, who was always quite dense about them.

Riku knew that, although Sora was an open, friendly, easy-going person, the brunet was not the affectionate type. He would only hold hands in a friendly manner and on rare occasions the most he could do, and the farthest he could go, was hug a few times, never breaching the boundaries pass friendship.

The only time Sora would hold someone else in his arms was when he was protecting that person, which was also an uncommon situation. And for Sora, that had happened only once with a certain red-haired girl.

"Sora?"

"Can't I?" Sora repeated

"No." Riku had meant 'no' to 'can't.'

A short 'hnn' escaped from the brunet's throat.

"But why?" Riku asked, his voice unsure.

A soft chuckle issued from Sora, ringing nicely Riku's ear.

"When I woke up in that Haunted Mansion, and saw Donald and Goofy there, I jumped on them for a hug."

_'Before you guys danced around in circle like kids, I know.' _Riku was half amused at the recollection; after all, even when they were young, Sora, Kairi, and he hadn't danced like that.

"When I saw Kairi, she threw her arms around my neck, I held her back."

_'I saw it.' _

"What's funnier was when I was in Space Paranoids, there was a computer guy named Tron who pulled me into a hug. I was kind of stunned, actually. Pretty hilarious to be stunned by a computer system's hug, isn't it? But it was a first for me."

"Hnn."

The brunet shifted a little in Riku's arms. "So why can't I do the same to you?"

It was overwhelming.

Riku thanked the fact that he was sitting. Had he been standing, he would have had to cope with the embarrassment of falling to the ground. He'd spent so much time alone in the dark that back then when King Mickey had come to him, he'd fallen due to the sheer sense of relief and the realization of having someone he could trust right in front of his eyes.

People had thought he'd forgotten how to feel when he joined the forces of darkness, but hell, they were wrong, he'd felt things then and he still felt them now.

And if he'd fallen when he met King Mickey, it could be a lot more when Sora was doing this to him.

Riku's eyes softened, he felt himself loosened up, and he found it a painful to not bring his hands up and mirror his friend.

The taller boy held the smaller one in return, and thought it was his imagination when he heard a small contented sound from the other.

But it was not his imagination.

Time kept ticking away, measured only in the wash of waves against the shore.

"Sora? Don't you think it's too long already?" It wasn't like he wanted to stop, but there were always those thoughts of uncertainty clouding the back of his mind.

_'Was he even worth it?'_

He was far from voicing _that_ thought out loud. Sora, with his perpetually optimistic attitude, would probably throw him off and kick him into the water if he said such thing or if he knew that Riku was so deep in self-doubt.

Slowly, the smaller boy peeled himself off of Riku and Riku found that Sora already looked content, while he himself was regretting leading the boy out of his hold in the first place.

"Sorry." The brunet shook his head with a lopsided grin. "I just miss that."

Words and actions had left Riku with a lingering sense of loss in his stomach.

Sora missed that for having parted from him so long, but Riku already missed for the lost of contact now.

Uncertain of himself, or what it would lead to if he were to continue with the thought of doing as he wished, he forced himself up with the believed-fact in his mind that they were best friends.

_What else could they be? _

Trying to clear the notion from his mind, but failing miserably, he could only pack it away, and extend his hand to Sora.

"Come on, let's go home."

X

Damn sappy, huh?

Next chapter would probably be another interlude on Roxas and Sora, before it would go on to the real chapters.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks for the reviews in earlier chapter!

And thanks for the favorites in earlier chapter, though I would be lots more super-appreciated if you could reviews!


	3. Interlude 1: Roxas:of Dreams & Realities

**Interlude 1 : Of Dreams and Reality**

Summary: Sora met Roxas in dream.

X

'_Where am I…?' _

His sky blue eyes opened.

He looked ahead of him, seeing nothing but darkness. It was a weird sensation of perceiving into the void of nothingness, yet feeling and knowing that he was there. He felt his limbs, as for his hands that reach out and tried at least in hopes of finding something tangible.

Still, Sora found nothing.

In any other situation, he would find himself frightened and lost. But now he didn't really find a reason to be scared.

He only felt himself floating, and it wasn't that bad.

'_I must be dreaming…'_

'_Hmm, you're a little brighter than I had thought…' _A voice came out of nowhere.

Sora whipped his head around, searching for the source of the voice, yet his eyes only met the darkness.

'_Who are you?' _He paused for a while before speaking again. _'Wait, I know you…' _

There was a light chuckle. _'Take a good guess then.'_

'_Roxas?' _Sora urged.

A moment of silence ensued, before a soft 'hnn' was answered along with the bright light that suddenly shoved itself onto Sora, and he was forced to cover his eyes.

X

When Sora opened his eyes and let his arms down from shielding the light, he saw the dark environment had disappeared, and was covered with whiteness instead.

A few paces away in front of him stood another boy. It was a boy with blond hair and blue eyes, someone who resembled Sora himself.

"So it's really you, Roxas." Sora said as he quickly took a step closer to the boy until he was standing directly in front of the other. Sora noticed that he was slightly shorter than him.

"So you came." Roxas spoke calmly to his other.

"I…came?" Sora asked, pointing at himself, with wide eyes.

The other nodded. "This is my place; you're here, so that means you came."

"Is this a dream?"

"Your dream…but then again, it's my place."

Sora crossed his arms over his chest and looked up, brows knitting slightly, obviously in deep speculation.

Roxas's chuckle pulled Sora out of his thoughts. "Don't get too carried away. You'll get back to your own world eventually, when you wake up."

The brunet uncrossed his arms from his chest and looked down at the tile floor momentarily. "Right. I was with Riku." Then he looked around. "But why am I here?"

"The answer is yours, I don't know about it."

Sora's eyes settled on the taller boy. "Maybe…I just want to meet you, Roxas."

A warm smile graced Roxas's feature, making Sora felt lighter. "Yeah, I want to meet you too."

At that, both of them only smiled and laughed lightly at each other.

"So you live here?" Sora asked as he looked around.

"Sometimes yes, and sometimes no." Roxas suddenly got up and beckoned to the shorter boy. "Come here, I'll show you."

Sora nodded enthusiastically and obediently followed.

Another white light engulfed them.

When Sora opened his eyes this time, he was in another place, again washed in whiteness, but obviously a room.

It looked like a room of some kind with drawings and sketches all around. Then the brunet realized that it appeared exactly like one of the rooms in the Haunted Mansion at Twilight Town.

"Is this Namine's room?" Sora asked, he didn't know why he knew; he just did.

Everything was white. There was a window, but it only led to more whiteness in the outside world. There was a long white table in the middle of the room. Pictures and sketchy drawings were randomly plastered on the wall, as well as some scattered on the floor and the long table in the center of the room. Sketch books and coloring tools were all around. In fact, the room had some resemblance to a nursery.

Roxas's nod confirmed his question. "She's not here now."

Sora raised an eyebrow with wide eyes. "Why not?"

"You're not with Kairi now."

"Oh…yeah." The brunette trailed off. "But tomorrow I'll meet her, so you can see Namine too."

With that, Roxas shook his head slowly. "You don't have to say that, it's not like it's your responsibility to do it."

"Huh? Why? Roxas, it's not like-"

"No, Sora. It's not what you think." The blond cut him off. "I just haven't known Namine for very long, I mean, really, I barely know her. The only reason I feel good towards her is only because I'm your…nobody." The last word came out as a barely audible whisper, but Roxas kept on. "And Namine is Kairi's nobody, that's why I feel like I'm close to her, in the way that you're close to Kairi. Hearts are connected, aren't they?"

Silence reigned, while Sora fidgeted slightly and Roxas knew that the boy somehow didn't really get what he had said but he didn't want to push the topic. Instead, he kept his pace around the room, studying and observing the pictures.

"Are these all Namine's? Of things she's seen?" Again, Sora spoke like he knew Namine, and in fact, he did.

Roxas nodded.

"Hmm…" Blue eyes settled on a drawing he suddenly took interest in.

It was a drawing of a boy with silver hair standing in front of a huge round egg-like contraption which held the brown-haired boy inside. It was a sketchy picture, no hints or emotions were drawn on either boys' faces, but Sora could tell that the silver-haired boy in the drawing was staring, or rather intently watching the boy in the contraption, which was obviously…him.

And another boy…

"Riku was there when I was sleeping!?" Sora whipped his head to Roxas, his sky blue eyes widened than ever before.

The blond made an amused voice in his throat, mostly because of Sora's face. His other had a knack of showing so much on his facial expression, especially lately

"Yeah, and complaining about you being a slacker, taking a nap like a child-"

"Ha-hey! I wasn't-"

"-while he told you to protect Kairi."

"…oh…" Sora's gaze dropped.

"I bet he was pretty surprised or even shocked when he found out that you were not back at the Island with Kairi. I mean, that was his last wish to you, as far as I know from Namine."

"I couldn't just go home to Kairi without Riku. I mean, I did take Riku's words to heart, but…I was sure Kairi was safe." Sora explained.

"I see."

Sora's eyes moved on to another similar drawing.

This time it was a drawing of a man in black cloak, with hood covering his face, but obviously watching him sleeping in the contraption, it gave Sora the parallel impression of the earlier picture.

He frowned, grabbing the picture in his hand and held it up for Roxas to see. "Is this…Riku too?"

"Yes, him again."

Sora's frown deepened, to the point of sternness.

The blond raised his brow. "Am I incorrect if I say that you look angry?"

The brunet glared to the side, putting the picture back down on the table, and lingering on it.

"Riku never told me. So he'd been here all along while I was asleep!" Sora paused for a moment, thinking, then continued. "Oh right, they told me that Riku was in the Castle of Oblivion. So he found me when I was asleep and ran away when I woke up!" Sora groaned crossly. "When I see him again, I'm gonna tell him off good!"

"Good, he deserves it." Roxas crossed his chest with a puff then uncrossed it. "Wait, you remember what happened to you in Castle of Oblivion?"

Blinking, Sora shrugged. "Why wouldn't I?" Another pause, then, "ha-hey, but I didn't recall anything earlier when I woke up, so why I am remembering now?"

The Nobody shrugged, mirroring his other's gesture. "Because this is in your dream?"

"Probably." Sora's shoulders sagged vaguely. "I hope I still remember when I wake up." He held up a fisted hand determinedly.

"Probably not. I'm afraid you won't recall any events in Castle of Oblivion when you wake up."

"Ah!? So Riku is going to get away with it," the boy said almost exasperatedly.

"Didn't he tell you he didn't want you to see him after he'd turned into Xehanort's Heartless form?" Roxas looked away. "That was in front of my eyes."

The brunet sensed the tension in his other's voice. Riku had explained to him what had happened between him and Roxas when he tried to wake Sora. His mind momentarily shifted from anger at his friend to concern for his other.

Being manipulated into a programmed-world could be quite painful once knowing that one's existence didn't really exist.

For a while, Sora had thought that Roxas would probably would sink into gloominess, but he didn't. The blond boy tilted his head back up, smiling.

A smile that said he was okay.

"You're lucky, Sora. Your summer will never be over. You've got friends back there." Roxas eyes shifted to the side and cast on the floor. "Riku would give everything to get you back."

"…Hey." The brunet rubbed the back of his neck with a lopsided grin. "You've also got the same kind of friend who did everything to get you back too."

It took Roxas a while to speak the name out, although he knew at once of who Sora was referring to. "Axel?"

"Yeahhh." Sora grinned, closing his eyes, and leaned against the white table. "You know. Besides breaking into the programmed-world that Diz created to get to you, he also kidnapped Kairi to use her against me, in hopes of turning me into Heartless once more, you know what I mean."

The blonde let out a soft chuckle. "He never told me that."

Yet again, the two boys found in each others' eyes that they'd been encountered the same fate, same kind of friend, but neither of them voiced it out.

"Riku was right after all, about me, changing my mind when I met you." Roxas said.

Sora recalled the time that Riku told him about the fight with Roxas. Riku didn't exactly get into detail, but Sora got the point that Roxas was not happy about him being a part of somebody else, or to be exact, being a Nobody; hell, no one would. The brunet had already caught the hint that Roxas could hate him, if not now, then he used too.

"You hate me." It wasn't a question, rather a statement which came out quite frankly.

Roxas extended his hands out to the side, a rare gesture of him. "Because everyone, mostly Riku, come running around, calling me Sora."

"I understand how it feels." Sora remarked, eyes cast on the white floor.

"Hey, I only used to…hate you." Roxas took a seat, clasping his hands above the table, then glanced out the window which led to nothing but white abyss. "I kind of wanted to meet you too."

"I know. When I came to my senses, and was about to wake up in that Haunted Mansion, I heard your voice." Revealed Sora, as he stepped closer to the sitting boy. "Roxas."

The blond boy looked up at him.

Reaching out, Sora placed his hand on the his shoulder firmly. Roxas only looked questioningly at the hand, then to the owner of it.

"You know what, people said we're one, but someone…like Axel or Riku saw us as two completely different people even when they said we're both alike and different. I kind of think that we're two different people too. Like now, us, talking in front of each other." Sora spoke softly as he let his other hand drift above his heart. "And…I felt lots of emotions that I thought weren't from me; they were from you."

Roxas only listened, feeling Sora would continue.

"I felt sad when Axel faded away, and when I parted with Hayner, Pence, and Olette, I cried. It was you that cried through me. Moreover, they felt like they'd met me before, when in fact, it was you that they'd met. The world that Diz created reflected the real world of Twilight Town."

"It's just a reflection. The real Hayner, Pence, and Olette don't even know Roxas." The blond retorted, but not with any emotion. "I'm afraid it was only me with the imagination of them."

"You got it wrong, Roxas." Sora forced slightly on the blond shoulder and the said Nobody looked up at him again. "They met you, they knew about you, or at least they felt it in their hearts. Why else would they felt like they'd known me for long? It wasn't Sora, it was Roxas." Sora let out a huff and crossed his arms. "That would explain why Hayner was so grumpy the first day when I woke up, it was because it was the day you were…away. They too felt sad about you, in me, leaving. They felt you through me. The real them resonated the world that Diz put you in. World was not artificial, it mirrored the real thing. Your feelings are not artificial, they're real."

Roxas stared at the brunet for a long while, letting the words sink in. He didn't think that his other could go along with explaining such logic. Then again, when it came to Sora, he always had to think again. Finally, he closed his eyes, smiling. "Thanks. Now I remember, Axel did shed tears too." His last sentence came out inaudibly like he was talking to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing." When he slowly opened his blue eyes again, he found Sora's face had changed into another expression. He was sure Sora hadn't heard his earlier whisper, so what was it that made the Keyblade wielder sad now?

"I'm sorry, Roxas."

"Huh? Why do you have to?"

Sora went quiet for a while, eyes trailing back to the sketches that were scattered just about everywhere. Naturally, he found the sketch of two people in black cloaks: they were without a doubt Roxas and Axel.

"He's your best friend. And he's…gone because he gave all of his power in wiping the Nobodies out for me."

"Hmm." Roxas's eye's slid close half closed as he took Sora's earlier words into his own. "Wrong…" For a few minutes of seeing Sora's face washed in confusion, he revealed. "Right, he's my best friend, and true, he's gone because he saved you, but you don't have to apologize." Finally, Roxas gave off a smile. "He did what he wanted to, and…I still get to see him around."

The last statement made Sora's jaw fall open.

"I didn't see him, I mean..." Roxas's voice dropped to a lower level. "But I still hear his voice, I feel him around sometimes."

Sora raised his brow excitedly. "So he's not gone."

"Not really, I guess." Roxas let off a chuckle, easing the earlier tension in the air. "Axel's always stubborn of leaving, he always have been."

The brunet grinned at that, never once before had he seen Roxas with such face. Roxas's face contained of sheer amusement, which was indicative of talking about Axel, Sora noted.

"So, he's still here."

"Everytime you're with Riku."

"Huh?" Sora's eyes turned from happy grin to those of confusion. "Wait, every time I'm with Riku? How? It's not like Riku is…Axel's Nobody!" Sora raised his voice, his tone half-urgent and half-questioning.

"Yeah, he's not." The Nobody said with a smirk, still amused with Sora's expression. "Everybody remembered who they were before they were turned into Nobodies. Axel is not Riku's nobody, but Axel did tell me that Riku is like a reflection."

Sora's eyebrow went higher, if possible. "Reflection?"

"Yeah, Namine and I reflected Kairi and you, same goes with Axel."

"That's because Axel is your best friend," Sora hit his fist into his open palm.

Roxas nodded. "Something like that. What I'm trying to say is that there are always things we don't know of, things that are left un-answered. So…why I'm able to feel Axel when you're with Riku is one of those. We will never know."

The brunet frowned hard, eyes traveling left and right, thinking. Then he crossed his chest with a puff. "I've heard that before, somewhere."

"Don't worry, Axel's in me, and I'm in you. Metaphorically speaking, we're together." Roxas said, almost jokingly.

"Okaaay? You're in me, Axel's in you. So you're both in me." The boy scratched his head. "Back then, Kairi's heart was also in me."

"Namine also hinted that half of Riku's heart was also with you, which is why his heart wasn't completely lost to darkness." Roxas tapped a finger over Sora's heart.

"Huh!? Riku too!? Then I've become such a huge container!"

"You've got a big heart you can't even imagine."

Sora looked to the side, and scratched his forehead again. "Well, at least I hope what you said about Riku is true. If he's in me, then he won't be able to go anywhere far or into the darkness again."

"Sora, Riku is still in the dark."

The brunet snapped his head at the remark.

"But you need not worry about that, because you are the light. Light and darkness are drawn together, like you and Riku. You two won't be separated." The blond amended.

"….?"

"You can be his light."

Sora looked at the other for a long while, before he nodded firmly, eyes shining with determination.

'_Sora…'_

"Yeah?"

"What?" Roxas raised his eyebrow.

"You just called me." The brunet clarified.

"I didn't." Roxas shrugged and looked up the ceiling in a quick thought. "Oh, he's calling you."

It took Sora a moment to realize who Roxas was referring to. "Riku?"

The other nodded then he looked to the side for another long while before speaking. "Sora, tell him I'm…I didn't really…uh…." The nobody rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, something he'd reluctantly picked up from Sora. "…well, uh…that I didn't hate him. It's just that….I was so angry. I don't want him to get the wrong impression, because he thinks that you are me, and that worries him."

The brunet grinned contentedly and nodded. "Sure!"

"Guess this is it then." The Nobody concluded.

With that, everything around Sora started to fade into another void of color.

"Wait!" Sora raised his voice almost in alarm, he wanted to get to Roxas who was fading, but his feet were nailed to the spot. All he could do was to reach out to his Nobody "Roxas! Will I see you again!?"

A warm smile played across Roxas's features as he tipped his eye closed and the smile grew wider. He said something. But it was too late for Sora to hear, everything had already faded.

X

'_Sora…'_

'_Roxas, where are you?'_

'_Sora, wake up.'_

'_Nnnng, Rox-"_

"Wake up already, Sora!"

'_Wha-'_

Thump.

Blue eyes blinked open. He expected to see another white, but instead, he saw silver and green above him.

"Riku?" The boy trailed off, and blinked more when finding the vision of his best friend upside down.

"Get up already, we're going to be late." The silver-haired boy snapped, with a small hint of frustration.

It took a moment for Sora to realize that he was on the floor, of Riku's bedroom, his legs still dangling up on Riku's bed. It was dawned on him that his best friend had just thrown him off of the bed. He got up suddenly, rubbing the back of his pained neck and complained. "Why'd you have to do that? Couldn't you just call?"

"I called ten times, and you only tossed and turned at ten times that I called." Riku pulled the sheet and folded it neatly on the bed, half-ignoring the boy on the floor but after he finished folding the sheet, he eyed at his friend. "Roxas?"

The brunet looked up, attention caught by the name. He scrambled himself up right, though still on the floor and nodded excitedly. "Yeah! I met him! I can't believe it, I thought it was a dream, but yet it felt so real. We talked! And…" His blue eyes turned angry suddenly at Riku and the other was taken aback slightly by the sudden change. "And you…!"

Quiet ensued.

The standing boy let his eyebrow's quirk. "And I…what?"

The sitting boy left his mouth hanging open, no words coming out. Finally, he shook his head. "What was I going to say…?"

Riku could use another snap for his friend was dragging a time and they were going to be late. But his nuisance was forgotten upon seeing the look on the brunet's face.

Sora appeared lost for a moment, then he looked up at his friend. "There was something I wanted to tell you…or more like scold at you…because I was so angry." He paused and continued. "…But I can't remember now."

"Good. I'm lucky then." Riku smirked while Sora made an angry and frustrated sound in his throat, followed by a sulk.

"Well at least, there's one thing that's clear in my mind. Roxas told me to tell you to that he didn't hate you, it was just that he was angry, you know."

Riku's eyes traveled everywhere but on the boy. "I see."

Sora couldn't be too sure, but he thought he saw a brief negative look on Riku's face. Although most of the time he couldn't really grasp the emotions that Riku hid, he always believed in those little signs on his friend's features.

Riku was feeling guilty.

Before Sora could say anything, Riku spoke first. "Sora."

"Yeah?"

"Do me a favor." The silver-haired boy spoke while focusing on smoothing the bed sheets, but Sora could tell his mind was obviously elsewhere since the bed was perfectly smoothed long time ago.

"What favor?"

"Go to the sea with Hayner, Pence, and Olette sometimes. Okay?" This time, his eyes landed back at the brunet.

"Uh…yeah…sure…why not?" The blue-eyed boy trailed off, not catching the reason. "We'll go together."

Riku shook his head softly. "Just the four of you." His oceanic green eyes seemed to be far off again. "The three of them planned to go with…Roxas. They worked hard to earn enough munny for the train tickets, but never made it."

Sora was quiet for a long while before he detected the reason behind it. "…because you stopped them?"

Another long pause which followed by Riku's nod.

The brunet got up from the floor that he'd been occupying for too long. His hand landed on his friend's shoulder, giving it a firm grip, like he had to Roxas in his dream.

Riku looked at the hand and to its owner questioningly but had to laugh inside at his best friend and his nobody identical reactions.

"Don't make it like it was your fault. You were trying to bring me back, that's all." Sora's voice was as firm as his grip.

The silver-haired boy only has his eyebrow raised.

The brunet boy took his hand off and reached into his pocket until he fished out a small rounded object, a colored crystal, and held it between his fingers. He made his way to the window where light bathed in and leveled the crystal between his eyes' range and the sun's rays. The orb glowed with multi-colored beauty.

"This is Roxas's, I should have return it to him." The boy said as he bounced back turning to face his friend, grinning widely. "If you feel that bad about stopping them back then, then you can pay for their train tickets, and mine too. We'll go together."

The taller boys sighed; hence Sora didn't miss the small smile that tugged his lips.

"Fine, fine. But first…we have to go to school and we're so late, Sora."

"Urg."

X

Note: If anyone read KH manga (can be found in KH Ultimania website), you'll see in KHII when Roxas and his friends planned to go to the beach. Riku who was the one watching over Roxas, had made a call via public phone to Diz and Diz told him no, Roxas must not get out of the area, don't invest your emotion in 'that.' And readers can tell Riku wasn't so happy with that. I really like that part. Hey, and later (in game) he even made the train appear for Roxas who anxiously waited for it! Man, some people viewed that Roxas and Riku hate each other's guts, but in my opinion, Riku kinda liked Roxas (because he's Sora of course!) and Roxas didn't really hate him, he was just angry.


	4. Ch 2 Hand in Hand

Here lies the real chapter after two interludes. The 2nd interlude actually came after the "Darn…" of Riku in the first shot of this chapter…

**Chapter 2 Hand in Hand**

X

_No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white  
Just our hands clasped so tight  
Waiting for the hint of a spark_

_X_

Riku's sea green eyes fluttered open; the first thing he registered was something warm snuggled close to him. He had no doubts about that when his eyes traveled down and met a brown fuzz of hair there. Sora had his head against his chest, obviously asleep and far from waking up. The older boy wished he could stay that way just a little longer, at least for his friend.

No such luck, for the sudden thump of a knock came upon his door.

"Riku! Are you up now? You will be late for school!" His mother's voice came from the other side of the door.

The said boy had let out a soft gasp as he heard the door knob slowly being turned; he hastily pushed the other boy aside, shoving the blanket and covered the smaller frame just in time as his mother had poked her head into the room. Riku meanwhile, had his eyes facing his mother, smoothing his face into of anything but surprise.

"I'm up, Mom. Be down there in a minute-minutes." He amended. His mother just nodded and left, obviously for the breakfast preparation for her son.

Riku sighed audibly as his eyes settled back at the bundle atop his bed. He pulled off the blanket and his eyes lazily narrowed--the brunet was still blissfully asleep, very much unaware of anything.

Then he turned to the clock.

"Darn…"

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

Sora had almost stumbled in front of his house when he reached it. It wasn't until then, that he heard his mother cry from inside of the house that he realized his parents have found him gone and must be looking for him. He bounced in through the front door, announcing his presence, "Mom! Dad! I'm here!"

His parents appeared from the stairs, and the look of relief flushed over them as the woman jogged down the stairs, demanding answers. Sora was taken aback. It wasn't that his parents had been overly worried about him since they didn't even know he was gone for a year. Still, Sora, who was the person who had undergone the knowledge that he was away from his parents for a year; had felt bad about getting away without their consent.

"I…uh…went for a morning exercise!" Sora came up with some lame excuse which he hoped it would work, even he wasn't never a morning person. "I'm gonna be late. I'll have to prepare for school. Please cook me something, Mom. Catch you later, Dad!" With that, he waved them off and ran up to his room, hoping it wouldn't really be rude since he had to hurry after all.

He took a quick shower and did the morning rituals. Running downstairs, forcing down a quick breakfast and a brief confirmation of his return at noon after school to his parents, he darted out of the house.

"Ah! I'm late!" He mumbled as he picked up his sprint to school.

But being the way he was, he couldn't help but smile to the world that he had finally came home and gotten his normal life back at this point. The path to the Destiny High School was lined with coconut and palm trees, the boy breathed in the scent that the ocean brought with the morning air. At that, his acceleration decreased when he reached a certain block from his house that left him with only ten minutes walk to school.

'_I'm going to be late anyway; why not some fresh air that I missed so much…'_

"Still brooding and all, eh? We're late, Sora." A firm voice cut Sora's attention on the world around him.

His surprised eyes met the familiar figure at that certain block. "Riku!" He exclaimed as he picked up his pace again and rushed to his friend's side. "Why are you still here!? Shouldn't you already be at school!?"

Riku uncrossed his arms over his chest, and poked the shorter boy's forehead with his finger, eliciting a grunt from the boy.

"Shouldn't you too?" He then turned towards the direction and paced off hurriedly, "Kairi's waiting for us here, worrying why we're late. Anyway, I told her to go on ahead or she'll get detention. It's our first day at school; they will probably go easy on us."

At that, the smaller boy arched his eyebrow. "Riku, it's not our first day, isn't it? It is, but yet in fact it's not…to anyone else but us."

Riku frowned, for a while, thinking how Sora could form a puzzling sentence with an unclear meaning, but he realized with an 'oh.'

Along the way, Riku apparently had forgotten it in confusion too, Namine had brought back all of the memory to the people who were related to them. But one year is missing; they could only imagine what Namine had filled in that one year memory with. They didn't know or would understand how things would run in people's memories. And they actually had been listed at school for failing one year, so Riku was tentatively in the same class with Kairi and Wakka, while Sora would be with Selphie and Tidus, who were one year younger.

"I wonder what people would say if we ask them about what we are doing a month ago." Sora trailed off, but Riku didn't say anything. They both wondered, but had no thoughts to try it out.

As he ran, Sora blinked several times before realizing the obvious. "But you waited for me?" A rhetorical question and yet he was expecting answers. "Wow, thanks, Riku."

"Don't worry about it." Riku brushed it off as if being polite, but with a smirk, he added. "I was afraid you might lose your way."

"Hey!"

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

When the school gate came into view, Sora eyed Riku with excitement in his eyes. "Wow! It's been so long, ne, Riku-" He paused as his gaze settled on his friend and saw something he wasn't expecting. He noticed that in Riku's sea green eyes, there was a hint of …foreboding?

"Riku?" He called out.

"Uh…yeah…" Riku let out a short reply, feeling he was dragged out of his thoughts.

Sora thought it should be his imagination, but his realization was proved when his friend suddenly paused in his strides just before they stepped through the school gate. The smaller boy tilted his head back and saw his friend had stood his ground behind him, head hung low and eyes cast on the school ground.

"Riku, what are you doing? We're running late."

"Sora…I can't…" His voice came out with an audible whisper that only Sora could hear it. And well, him being the only one there to hear anyway.

"What?" Sora asked curiously, but grasped what Riku had meant after the issue had left his tongue.

Back there at the World That Never Was.

'_I've given myself to the darkness. How am I suppose to face everyone?'_

Sora's gaze also dropped to the ground at that thought. Riku had been in the darkness for too long, though getting out of there was what he already did. His heart and soul still lingered in the dark, whether be it now, or might as well be forever as Riku himself had mentioned yesterday night.

Sora's first idea was to do a face that he had crafted back there that made Riku laughed, but he didn't. Instead, he skipped back to his friend with a few short strides and spread one of his hands out just between the direction of Riku's gaze and the ground.

The sea green eyes blinked then finally tilted his head up and saw the familiar grin there.

"Come on, Riku. We'll go see everyone together! I'll walk you to your homeroom before I go to mine." Sora offered, his hand still there, extending.

A short silence had passed before Riku nodded with a "yeah," as he took Sora's hand. Sora then took a chance to pulled Riku ahead and sprinted to the school's building.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

Good thing was that they both luckily didn't get a detention, but for the school's policy, a little punishment would do.

Sora had insisted on walking his friend to the senior class. Up the door swung open, the teacher that wasn't familiar to the two boys suddenly snapped his head, pointing the two surprised boy with an accusing finger and announced that they were late and should remain outside the class for the rest of the hour.

In addition, the grumpy teacher pushed the thick glass up his bridge of his nose and warned. "Shorty, you don't have your ties on."

That was when Sora started to protest about his height but was dragged out of the class by Riku's strong grip before they would create a buzz. Riku gave a polite apologetic nod before he closed the door.

He let go of Sora, who reddened all over and held a fisted a knuckle with frustration. "How dare he!?"

Riku looked away from Sora, but the smaller boy had caught a glimpse in his friend's eyes, knowing the reason why Riku had to turn his face away with a hand covering his mouth.

"Riku! You're laughing!" The shorter boy got redder.

Sea green eyes got back to Sora; Riku removed his hand, revealing the smirk on his face. "He's right, isn't he?"

"No!" Sora protested and that was when he came to realized one thing; he didn't really have put a thought in since he reunited with Riku. The boy found himself having to look up when talking to his friend at that close. Moreover, Riku had to tilt his head downward slightly when talking to him. Sora's feet faltered slightly as it took one step backward at least to demonstrate that he didn't obviously have to _look up_ when talking to his friend. _'When did he get so tall anyway!?'_

Back then when he had woken up from a year of sleep, he was silently happy that he had outgrown his clothes, but meeting Riku had again given him the point that his best friend was still a step ahead of him.

Contentedly having his smirk enough for the smaller boy, Riku decided to already brush off the subject that Sora was now _uncomfortable _with, he pointed to the boy's chest. "No ties, eh?"

Sora looked down the direction and shrugged, half forgetting about the previous subject. His both hands then rummaged with his two pant's pockets and pulled out from one side the rumpled ties.

From the look of the ties that knotted incorrectly, Riku knew the reason Sora hadn't had ties on in the first place. "Forgot how to tie already?"

Sora's head and shoulders dropped in defeat and dismay, but he was surprised when Riku didn't smirk this time. Instead, the silver-haired boy pulled the ties from his hand and flung it over the smaller boy's shoulder and started to tie the article.

The smaller boy watched Riku's hands working its way efficiently. Then he felt a weird sensation when his best friend's fingers ghosted over his chest. He didn't really know what he was feeling right there.

And Sora has no idea that Riku felt the same way.

"There." Riku finished off as he smoothed the tie up with his palm.

It took Sora sometimes to collect himself again. "Th…Thanks." _'You're still good at everything._' The latter statement he hadn't said out loud, he had said it before though.

"Go to your class. Your teacher may not be as grumpy as mine." Riku suggested.

"Nah, I'll get the same punishment, won't make a difference. Your teacher did order to me to remain here, didn't he?" The brunette clasped his hand behind this back and yawned. "Oww, first day at school, and we already get punishment. Teachers normally go easy on us on the first day back then."

"Things change, they're about to get stricter and harder as we go on." The other suggested, oceanic eyes stared up ahead. The words and action had caught Sora's consideration.

"Right, but at least, we're still together, aren't we?" Sora poked his head into Riku's gaze direction.

Riku blinked down at him. "Don't get so sappy. I'm not moping."

"Hey!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

School hadn't been a big fuss for the two of them. Although both boys could hardly fit in, each in different categories: Sora, easily got along well with everyone as if he had been in the school for the past year, but instead he was having hard times with catching up with the lessons. Riku meanwhile, has not a problem whatsoever with the lecture, he'd been answering inquiries that were thrown at him smoothly despite the fact that he hadn't read school books at all for a year. As for his predicament, he was being tensed with the people around him.

Riku was astonished when Sephie told him that he was becoming the attention of the school with his look. But Riku only remembered himself as a mere boy to his school, an out going one at that. He felt a little lost while Selphie kept on saying things he couldn't really catch, about how he was slowly becoming the shining star of the school in the past year. Yes, he was a young man now, with his taller figure, longer silver-haired that fell sharply over his oceanic depths. Still, Riku had no idea at all about how everyone's perception him of now.

The said young man had started to notice that people were throwing their gazes on him. Despite how Selphie cooed him about girls blinking at him, Riku had felt his world narrowed down and fading into the dark. It reminded him of the time he was in the dark where countless of Heartless waited to jump on him anytime. Always being cautious and on guard was only one way to survive.

He didn't like it one bit, about people's eyes on him.

Two weeks later, as he was walking alongside with Sora to the cafeteria where they ate with their friends' everyday, people, especially girls were staring at him. While Sora was smiling brightly to his friends who passed by, Riku had kept his face fixed on going straight ahead, or even sometimes on the ground. His long locks always did a good job for him in hiding his face behind it.

Somehow, Sora had come to realize how Riku had been acting, he easily asked. "Riku. You look like you're lost in the desert." To his surprise, his friend didn't counter back. "Riku?"

"Sora, can you walk faster? You're slow with those short legs of yours." Riku whispered with a slight smirk. He did some counter after all.

"Hey! I'm not!" To prove his point, Sora skipped a bit faster with his feet. "Race you to the cafeteria!"

A smirk changed into a smile, Riku followed Sora with a fast pace.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Normally you just don't race before meals." Kairi stated when her two best friends arrived with color on their faces, obviously out of air.

Sora and Riku set their plates of meal down and seated themselves with Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka who were there from earlier.

"That's because Riku rushed me!" Sora announced to his friends as he gestured towards Riku. The silver haired boy only nodded and started eating silently. Sora blinked at the lack of response of his best friend. But decided not to put a thought into it, thinking maybe it was him that talked too much.

And that he did again. Sora spent most of the time talking with friends, as his food has been poked around while he kept his conversation. Gratefully, their friends didn't bring up much about the event of the passed year, they wondered if it was the result of Namine's work as well.

"Hey, guys, how about going into town this Sunday, like Electric Town?" Selphie suddenly chirped a suggestion.

It was typical of Selphie to ask for auto parts sightseeing instead of movies or shopping like other girls.

"No mechanic stuffs, ya!" Wakka cut in with a disapproving grunt, but accompanied with a brotherly warning.

Everyone knew Selphie has admirations of advanced technology while Wakka admonished it. Their perceptions usually clashed, having come from a different background and places.

"Or blitzball game!" Tidus inserted and Wakka nodded approvingly.

Selphie silently warred against Wakka until Kairi offered. "Auto parts shopping in the morning till noon, then Blitzball from noon till night; how does that sound?" Concluded Kairi, she agreed with herself and turned to the other two boys. "You're coming too, right?"

"You got it!" Sora replied excitedly. Eying to the side, Riku hasn't say anything and everyone were waiting for his answer too. The easy-going boy easily repeated Kairi's earlier words. "You're coming too, right?"

As Riku's eyes met Sora's questioning ones, he turned away, only to be met by Kairi, when he averted Kairi's, he met Selphie's and Tidus's, then again met Wakka's after trying to look away. Finally he let out the answer. "Sorry, I have…plans."

A curious "Huh?" was audible, especially from the three old friends from a year ago.

"Well, we can switch to Saturday too, ya? That's tomorrow so we don't have to wait." Wakka turned to the others. "Is that ok with you guys?"

Everyone just nodded, emphasizing the point that they really wanted Riku to come with them. That was when Kairi, who sat opposite of the boys, saw Riku's usually unwavering eyes faltered, even for only a moment.

"Sorry, got plan on that day too." Riku apologized once more and added with a small smile "Really, you guys go on ahead, maybe next time I'll come too." With that Riku, having just finished his meal, he mumbled his byes and left, claiming he has to prepare for his next class, which everyone knew it was in another half an hour, a time too long for them to just prepare for a class. Then again, Riku mostly liked to study ahead.

Sora's eyes locked on the path Riku had taken out but he said nothing.

"I think…Riku seems distant." Selphie commented ruefully as her gaze dropped on the table.

"What?" Sora asked, eyes looking in disbelief.

"Oww! Sora! Don't tell me you didn't notice that?" Tidus raised his eyebrows.

"Uh…well…" Sora's eyes looked to the side, his finger fidgeting over his cheeks. Sure he did know that his best friend's being different was the consequence of what had _happened. _But he couldn't explain that though. He just shrugged. "Well, time passed. People change." Sora wasn't sure if he had the right word, his friends weren't aware of the hole in time that Riku and him was missing though.

"You didn't change, ya?" Wakka queried.

"Right, all of us haven't changed." Tidus urged and brought his hand up to his chin in a curious gesture. "I don't know when is it that he changed this much. It just felt like yesterday that he still was his old self."

Sora sweat-dropped at Tidus's last statement.

"I know Riku is not a very conversational person like Sora. But he's far from quiet, he occasionally talked back then, and a lot about the world around him. Nowadays at school, he usually looks quite stern with people he doesn't know. He used to be open to new people, but now he's just being timid and closes up on himself, although he's polite to them…I never saw Riku being polite though." The sentimental brown-haired girl trailed off her long pent up thoughts.

Kairi noticed Sora was obviously continued to sweat-dropped by that as he hurriedly said. "Hey, that's not important. What's important is we're still together, aren't we?"

"That's right, we're still together, that's what we count." Kairi helped back Sora up which the boy sent a grateful look to her.

Selphie's eyes looked back up, she smiled sadly. "I know. It's just that I rarely see him smile."

If anyone not among them would misunderstand that Selphie liked Riku, then it wouldn't be strange. Selphie did like Riku, as a friend. A year ago, Riku had been like a brother to her and all. Selphie believed he still did, but seemed a little far away though. She'd recalled how the boy had tried brushing off the subject when she cooed him about being the spotlight of school. The teal green-eyed girl could be quite sensitive at times.

"Yeah. It's not like Riku smile much, he rather smirk a lot. Then again, he's not even smirking nowadays." Tidus hinted.

Sora's blue eyes blinked again and truth be told without him even thinking. "But…I see him smiles…well, smirks everyday."

Everyone turned their eyes on him at once; Sora recoiled.

Kairi sighed softly. "He only does that when he's around you, Sora."

Sora turned wide eyes at his best friend, secretly accusing her that she was supposed to back him up with Riku's issue. Then again, Sora had put more thought into it and realized they were right.

His best friend who had came out of the dark after living in it for a year had changed. Who wouldn't anyway? He had noticed Riku tried to avoid people at school. Sometimes when they went to the beach or the island, Riku would sit on the paopu tree like he usually did. His eyes would gaze out to the horizon like he used to do back then; but they were different. From the eyes that looked eager to just go off now had became the eyes staring out into an empty space.

That scared Sora.

To subside that feeling of fear, the optimistic boy had just made believed of himself that maybe he must have imagined it, the result of worrying over his friend. But now that everyone was pointing it out, it couldn't be just his imagination after all.

Kairi's declaration had left an impact on him and everyone. They all looked at Sora again, waiting for some clarification, which Sora repeated his gesture of shrugging it off again. "Maybe…I'm a fun person to be with?" He provided a goofy smile.

"Hey, we're all fun fun here, ya?" Wakka pointed out , everyone nodded. "I know you're his best friend. But we're his friends too, we're worry about him too, ya?"

Sora knew they were right. He helplessly began to throw back Kairi a questioning glance, silently condemning her of bringing this up but the redhead girl only gave him a sad smile which shocked Sora at that point. Much to his small head, he couldn't really handle them all that he finally cut it off.

"Maybe he had a bad day or something; I'd better go check him out." With that, he got up and followed the path that Riku had taken earlier.

As he left, their table fell silent again, drowned by the chattering voice of the crowd in the cafeteria before Tidus broke it off, leaving the last comment that got to everyone as well.

"Anyone care to Blitz?"

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

By the time Sora reached Riku's homeroom, it was nearly the time for next class. The boy didn't see his friend there in the room and decided to wait as he pondered over the earlier subject.

Why had Kairi said that, Sora still couldn't understand. _Was Kairi hinting at something?_ Did she knew something he didn't know or was she trying to tell him something through it? He did thought that maybe he and Riku had gone away from her for a year and she somehow felt left out sometimes, but he knew that would be less likely that she was feeling in such a way. So, why was it? Sora couldn't tell. Too many things were on his head right now, and they were distracted when he finally spotted his silver-haired friend heading towards him.

Riku had his hands in his pants' pockets; eyes cast downward, avoiding people around him that sent their eyes on him. Sora knew people looked at him because they had interest in him, they didn't mean any harm in any way and Riku should have known that.

He used to be open up to people, but not anymore. He didn't even noticed Sora standing in front of his class, waiting for him.

"Riku." Sora called out when Riku merely walked pass him to the back door of the same room.

Upon being called, his head tilted up a bit and looked to the side. Sora saw the obvious change in the sea green eyes from dull to a…little of brighten ones. "Sora? Shouldn't you be at your class now?"

As if his point was proved, the bell suddenly rang throughout the school. When the ringing was done, people had gathered themselves into the rooms, the noise slowly fading.

The Spiky haired boy grinned sheepishly, eyes turning to the side, not facing his friend. "Right, guess I should get going."

Riku gazed down at the smaller boy as people brushed pass them into the room. "Is something wrong? You come for anything?"

Sora shook his head like a child. "Nah. Just…came to see you off."

As all the students were already inside their class, Riku's eyes softened as he briefly ruffled his friend's brown hair. "Sora, if you're worrying about me, you don't have to be. I'm fine, really."

Sora looked up, surprised. "Huh? No, I didn't." He lied, and even to himself.

"Riku! The class's starting!" Kairi suddenly appeared at the door, acknowledging her friends. "Sora, we'll see you later."

Upon seeing Kairi, Sora ginned slightly. At least Riku got Kairi who could look after him. He thought maybe he was worrying over nothing. Riku's classmates were friendly with Riku and the teachers liked him for being smart and all. Sora had nothing to worry about.

Riku's head turned to the direction of a class as he moved to the door. "Go to your class, Sora. See you after school."

Sora didn't know his feet had dragged him along in front of the door, nodding to his friend who was already in the room, about to close the door.

Right, he believed Riku's words. Riku would be fine, he said so he would be. Riku never lied. If he was hurt, then it would show on his face, he would tell Sora about it. If he has something inside, he wouldn't keep it to himself, he would let Sora know. If he has anything at all in mind, Sora would know.

But that was a year ago.

And the image of Riku standing behind the door of Kingdom Hearts rushed back to him. Riku told him to take care of Kairi and smiled at him as if everything would be all right when Sora knew it wouldn't

"RIKU! Don't close the door!"

The next thing Sora knew and came to realize was that the door was burst wide open, almost hitting Riku who was behind it in the process. The oceanic eyes widened in surprise, as well as all the eyes in the room that stared at him with the same surprised confusion.

Kairi was one among the students, she took the hint that something was wrong and was about to get up, but the teacher motioned her to sit down.

"Your name is Sora, right? I've heard about you. Shouldn't you be at your classroom rather than poking around in senior class?" That was from the teacher, and he motioned towards the silver haired boy who belonged to his class. "Riku is an intelligent student; don't drag him down with you."

Kairi's eyebrows twitched at that, she was about to get up, entertaining the thought of yelling or screaming at the teacher.

Before Kairi or Sora could protest, Riku had stepped in front of the boy. Just when Sora thought Riku would try to avoid the commotion and let things go, the other boy had said something Sora never expected to hear. "You say that to him, you thought of that about Sora, then don't expect me to call you, or even think of you as my teacher."

When Sora looked up, he had never seen Riku have such anger shown on his normally calm face since when they came back. Words were told, and Sora, even being how slow he was, still registered the idea that what Riku had said might get him into troubles, and that was because of he himself. Then again, before he could open his mouth to amend things for his friend, Riku already grabbed his hand and pulled him off the class. To add up more on Sora's anxiety, Riku had left with, "I'm not attending class with someone I don't respect."

Kairi only watched things happened, she too was stopped by her friend who knew how much she cared about both boys.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

Along the hall they walked off with Riku leading the way without saying anything, and obviously fuming with the teacher.

Sora, who had pulled himself together, yanked them to a halt and urgently exclaimed. "Riku! Why'd you said that!? You could get yourself in trouble!"

Riku shrugged, his anger subsided. "To hell with it for all I care. I don't really like that guy anyway."

Riku started dragging Sora again into a certain direction that Sora hadn't realized as he was busy wrecking his brain out of how could Riku had done that. Riku used to be a mature in this sort of situation. When it came to school's stuff, it was only Sora that did the job of complaining childishly or acted and said things out without enough thought, while Riku's job was to think logically and acted or said accordingly to reasons.

He had wished Riku being the same way as him back then, but not anymore with the first case scenario that would undoubtedly get him into trouble.

"But Riku-" Sora started.

"Sora, why'd you do that?" Riku stopped walking. When he looked at the boy and saw the expression on it, he sighed dramatically, thinking how easily Sora could just have no clue at all. He had to offer the clue again. "…Pushing that door, shouting at me not to close it."

"Oh…that." Sora trailed off, then went quiet, seemingly thinking.

"You thought of what happened back there at Kingdome Hearts." Riku dared. "You're worrying about me going back into the dark?"

"Yes." Sora let out before his eyes snapped wide as he waved his hands in front of him in a _no _gesture. "No, no, no! I mean, what I mean…" Suddenly Sora found himself at lost for words, and it was hard to finish what he had just said or tried to say.

Maybe Selphie was wrong about him being conversational.

But Selphie was not wrong, Sora thought. Something was wrong with him. Why couldn't he just let things out? Right, he was worried about Riku, as well as everyone else. And he knew Riku wouldn't want anyone to worry about him. Worrying about him could even make things seem worse since Riku just didn't like people throwing their worries eyes on him, as much as Sora did.

Taking in the hint that Sora couldn't bring words out; he decided he wouldn't force it. Riku then grabbed Sora's hand and led him to his classroom.

"Erk. I still have to study!?" Sora whined as they were in front of his classroom, all students had already been inside, listening boredly to the lecture. Riku urged Sora on the door frame, which Sora ducked his head to avoid people inside from seeing him and asked. "Riku. How about you? You're not going back to your class?"

"No." The other boy shook his head. "Guess I could use a nap."

"Hey, that's not fair." The smaller boy protest.

"What's not fair, Sora? I have not a problem with studying but you've been sleeping in class and pay a teacher no attention. Your marks on quizzes and tests still haven't gone up a bit. And you can hardly catch up with your lesson. Frankly, I'm beginning to worry that you might not pass the year." Riku crossed his arms over his chest as he turned sideway, trying to be cold.

"That's because you're smart. I'm dumb, and the teacher is boring." Sora cringed and pouted. "It only has been just a few weeks, and I know I'm going to fail this year."

Riku's gaze set back to Sora shrunken feature and sighed softly. "Like I'm going to let that happen."

"Huh?" Sora looked up and Riku was already a few paces away, his hands in his pant's pockets.

Riku tilted his head back and motioned the boy to follow him. "If you fail this year, then you'll be two steps behind me. You'll let that happen?"

Sora studied Riku as he began to smirk with those words, and Sora found himself not wanting things to happen the way words were said. "No way."

"Then come on."

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

Sora felt that his head was going to explode soon with such loads of information and lessons that Riku has been feeding him.

They were at the windy roof top terrace, spending a good two hours which Riku made himself a tutor for Sora's schooling lessons. After the one class that they skipped, the bell had rang but Sora refused to get back to class which Riku took an immediate conclusion that the tutor should go on. To his surprise, Sora didn't protest, the smaller boy looked as if his head covered with spiky hair would soon popped out, but Sora stayed.

And they had gone over with Science, Math, and Arts lesson. With Riku lectured, pulling Sora's attention back every time he sensed the boy started to space off. Giving a questions, providing hints if needed, waiting patiently for the boy's answers. Until the last order of school's bell rang.

"I guess, that should be it for now, before your little head blow off." Riku spoke neutrally and closed the book with a soft thud.

Sora leaned back on the floor, arms outstretched. "I feeel so wrecked."

"But…you did well." The silver-haired boy offered a smile after remaining calm and cool exterior for hours. "You'll catch up in no time. I can give you a tutor everyday after school."

"Really?" Sora asked hopefully, looking up brightly at the sitting boy. "I think that you're a better teacher than my lecturer too. Well, that's the way things work, isn't it? Friends can understand more than a teacher when it comes to this stuff also."

For a while, Sora could swear that Riku's eyes had blanked out at that. "Yeah…friends…"

Sora turned his observing eyes on his best friend, but when he did, Riku's expression already smoothed back to normal, calm and cool. And Sora could only leave the curiosity in his mind. He always knew that he was slow in this kind of thing and always missed that small fracture of information that could lead to a significant matter. More than half a part of him now believed that what happened to both of them back then was the result of him being careless about this little thing, about him not noticing Riku's changes that led to the dire consequence. Sora would never want to miss it again. But then again, he knew Riku would didn't wish to be noticed and realized all the time.

Sora would have to keep it balance in between the line. This time he opted to let it go first.

"But that's a weird thing coming from you. You didn't protest my offer to give you a lesson. Maybe hails will fall on Destiny Island tomorrow." Riku started.

"Just want to catch up with you…with everyone, that's all. Even Tidus got higher score than me. I just don't want to be left behind." The boy grinned sheepishly at the confession and blinked when he saw how Riku suddenly gazed at him.

It was the kind of gaze he never really got much from Riku. Softened aquamarine eyes with a smile tugged on his lips, the expression that if Sora wasn't mistaken, would tell him that Riku was being _impressed._

His thought was proved when Riku revealed. "You've grown, Sora." While Sora's mind didn't really have time to sink in the compliment, Riku changed the subject. "Tired?"

Sora suddenly started to yawned, he stretched his arms once more and put them behind his head, cushioning it. "I really could use a nap right now."

"Sleep if you want, you earned it." Riku urged. "I'll wait."

Sora's eyes drifted shut as he lazily yawned. "It'll just take minutes, Riku. How 'bout some ice cream before we go home? My treat, to thank you for this and all."

"Sure. See you when you wake up." Riku lulled.

With that Sora drifted off sleeping.

As Riku reached for one of the books, intending to study more for his own; he felt a slight tug across his side. When he peered down, he saw Sora's small hand gripping the hem of his shirt before it fell off loosely. The grip wasn't tight; somehow it reminded him of the first night they came back to the island: Sora telling him not to leave and asking him to promise he would never leave weren't enough, but also sleeping in the same bed, Sora had unconsciously kept his hands on Riku's shirt.

He wondered if the younger boy had realized it. He knew more that it probably not.

Riku spent a good while just peering down at the sleeping boy. He had spent a one good year just staring at Sora while the boy slept in Namine's memories reviving pod. _So what? _This time, that huge pod was in the way, but now…

The wind blew the brown locks and Riku started to reach and play with that brown locks, the owner of it seemed to be in deep sleep and wouldn't wake up with the touch. Riku found himself drawn in as he started to touch Sora's face and his other hand pressed on the floor, just beside Sora's head.

He slowly bent down. Mind totally blanked off, yet it filled with so many things…so many thoughts.

His face came closer and closer to Sora's until they were inches apart.

Sora stirred, that's when Riku's eye snapped wide momentarily, realizing what he was doing, or what he was about to do. He didn't pull back, but remained there, weighting an option of whether to pull back and pretend nothing had ever happened when Sora was asleep. Or…or…

BANG!!

Riku was snapped out of it when the loud sound of the roof top door crashed his senses. He pulled back just before the time Sora's eyes fluttered open.

Through the door, ran in some group of girls, csme screaming about after being free from a school day. Some of the girls noticed Riku being there, started giggling to each other at he looked at him.

The boy felt his face grew hot, but it wasn't anything from the new comers, it was from the earlier act that he was about to do. And to speaking of which-

"Mmm." Scratching his eyes with the back of his hand, Sora jolted up from the floor, looking around drowsily, and finally at his friend who stared at him with the stun expression that if Sora was well conscious enough would see. "What time's it, Riku?" Much to Riku not responding, Sora languidly reached and took Riku's wrist where the watch would be.

The taller boy only froze as Sora fumbled to see the time.

"Only eight minutes passing? Not even-" Sora paused as the wrist in his hands abruptly yanked away. Blue eyes startled at that and he looked up, seeing this best friend's face turned away. "Riku?"

The said friend got up immediately, books and stuffs already in his arms, he muttered something that Sora could made out as "Gotta go, good bye." Then he picked up his pace to the door.

By the time that Riku took off, Sora's mind woke and he called out. "Wa…wait…Riku! Where are you going!? How about ice cream!?"

Riku didn't turn as he paced pass the girls who still have their eyes locked on Riku. "Maybe next time!" Within seconds, Riku was out of Sora's vision.

When the taller one was gone, the girls turned their eyes on Sora instead. Sora was fully awake by then as he returned a sheepish grin to a bunch of giggle girls, he quickly grabbed some of his stuffs on the floor and rushed off.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

'_Darn it…!!' _Riku's mind rumbled with curse words as he sped down the stairs that seemed never ending. He wanted to get out of the place as soon as possible…and at the same time in his subconscious, wanted to go back.

He already had his bag with him, meaning he could just go straight home. He avoided many people along his way through the crowd and got out of the school by backyard, shunning the path where Kairi would wait for him and Sora and walk back home together each halfway.

'_Oh right, I didn't wait for him' _He cursed himself again, and couldn't bring his legs to walk back. Normally, he would walk back home with Kairi and Sora. Kairi turning left, he and Sora turning right together. Normally Kairi came to school and went back home with Selphie since their houses were in the same direction. But lately Selphie had spent more of her time at clubs. And that was everyday, since when they got back.

The silver-haired boy head directly to his home. After mumbling, "I'm back" to his parents, he rushed up the stairs to his room, banging it close and leaned against the door with his head thrown back.

Finally, a place to be alone.

'_What the hell am I thinking!?' _He felt like banging his head over the wall for a few good times.

He was just going to do something that best friends don't normally do.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Sora, what happened to you two after that? Riku didn't come back to class." Kairi asked as Sora approached her from the crowded hallway.

Sora smiled dumbfounded. "Uh…he's not with you…well, then. I don't know. Moments ago he was with me, but then he rushed off."

"Huh? He rushed off?" Kairi asked. "He was with you earlier? So you didn't go to your class?"

"Um, well. Riku didn't want to go back to his class…" He snapped his head up, and threw in another subject that came with a more pressing tone. "Will Riku be in trouble for saying that to the teacher?"

"I can see Riku not liking the teacher. He always supposed Riku as some highly intelligent intellectual from high above never to be touch on the ground, Riku hate that." Kairi said with a frown, obviously she didn't like the teacher too. "But don't worry, the teacher's really into Riku. He didn't say anything after that, so hopefully tomorrow things probably go as nothing had happened."

"That's good to hear." Sora was relieved.

"So where were you two?" Kairi repeated.

"Eh, well, Riku offered to tutor me with lessons at school so I can catch up." Replied Sora.

"Hnn. So you guys skipped classes, I see." Kairi narrowed her eyes, putting up an angry expression. But decided to drop it, thinking at least her friends had lessons on their own. "And Rku didn't tell you anything when he left?" Asked Kairi again as she studied the awkwardness in Sora's expression. "Is something wrong?"

"I hope not." Sora replied enthusiastically. "Although, I think he seems a little…weird. I don't know."

Kairi's eyes gazed away. "Well then, at least he's not sick or something right? We'll figure it out tomorrow. Let's go home."

"Yeah." With that, they headed off the school campus.

As both of them walked in silence by the side of the pathway street parallel by the coconut trees, Kairir started conversationally as blue eyes fixed on the road ahead. "Sora, Riku's changed."

Sora turned a little to see her expression and he saw nothing out of ordinary, as if Kairi was just stating the point. "You've said that before…a year ago." The boy countered.

"I know. What I mean it, his changes; it's different from back then. What Selphie had said is right. And Sora, you didn't really notice it." The red-haired girl explained.

"Kairi." Sora said the name with a little discomfort in his voice.

"Things happened to Riku, bad things." The girl trailed off. "And he didn't tell us much about what happened with him in that one year. All I know is you spent a year sleeping while Riku was trapped in the dark." She paused before continuing. "And Riku trying to get you to awake by allowing darkness to overcome his body."

Sora thought Kairi was right, the day when he and Riku came back Riku barely spoke a word when Sora had told them everything that he had been through, all the worlds, people he met and places he'd been. But Riku just sat there, giving a very brief summary of what he went through when demanded by his two friends. Sora did ask him about small things like how Riku ate and slept in the Realm of Darkness, not out of curiosity but out of sheer concern about his well-being. Riku made no mention of how, he only stated that Diz had provided him everything he needed.

However, Kairi didn't know that very night Sora had went to Riku, and Riku happened to tell him lots of things.

Sora went quiet, not knowing what to say. Upon seeing that, Kairi ran her hand through her hair and sighed softly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up. I just…worry. I mean, you two had fought a tough battle but I haven't really been able to do anything."

"Kairi." Sora finally turned to her. "You came for us. Your letter brought us back. Riku and I know that that didn't mean to us little." Seeing his friend's eyes lightened up slightly, Sora added. "Come on, Kairi! Don't be so down. You also know Riku doesn't like people worrying over him so just be happy and be there with us. We were back together, right?" Then he offered a bright grin to her.

The girl finally had a small smile crept across her face and nodded before smiling energetically. "Right! I'll just have to be strong, be there for you and Riku! Oh!, and…" She started. "Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka decided not to go to Mechanic Town or Blitzball. They said we better go the island and ask Riku one more time if he wants to come." When Sora blinked questioningly at her, she stuck out her tongue, rubbing the back of her head. "No offense, but we don't really believe he has plans or something. Just that…you know…Riku always liked the island more or better than anything, here."

"You got it! Tomorrow I'll go and drag his ass to come with us! You're coming too?" Sora asked hopefully, grateful for all the friends with their perfect plan of getting Riku to come together.

By the time the conversation had settled, they had reached the spot where they separate, they waved good bye with smiling faces, silently agreeing to be cheerful.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

However, Sora was a little worried now with Kairi's words. He had stopped by the way and bumped his head over a coconut tree, trying to get the worry of out his head. His worries didn't go away, and instead hurt came through his head. He staggered home with the throbs against it, feeling stupid.

Sure he had thought about Kairi's words. Riku was different, he knew, being distant and all. There was a time when both of them had gone to the island. They sat at the old Paopu Tree. And he'd seen Riku's gaze on the horizon. He wondered if Riku was dreaming about going out again for another adventure.

They had written to King Mickey though. With the help of Merlin's teleport magic, the King had left them with this one means of communication to keep in touch. But they couldn't be so sure if the letter would reach the King.

Riku's ambition of leaving the island was not something to be taken so lightly, since he knew now that it was that very ambition that could call upon the darkness and open up the door to the other worlds. Sora could only wonder if Riku was now trying to suppress his eagerness for leaving. Riku would turn, upon being called by him. And Sora did it every time he was afraid that Riku's mind already drifted somewhere else. That had become his assurance that his friend wouldn't go anywhere.

And the promise too.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

There was a different in Riku between Kh1 and Kh2 while Sora was exactly the same (except growing up, looking good and all), don't you think? I didn't see the smugness on Riku's feature as much as I did on Kh1. I pretty much liked Riku that way, being kind of distant and drawn away. Sure, he was cool with his smirk, but he'd look more composed in Kh2 with the line he drew. You could tell it by the way he stands!

Even his tone of voice when he spoke to Sora first time: "You've got to pull it together, Sora." Man, his voice was so soft that I could hardly believe that voice actor was the same person as Kh1. I just knew that Sora's voice actor was a boy from the movie 6xth Sense? Wow, the "I see dead people" boy was the "I'm gonna go look for Riku." boy. How interesting.


	5. Ch 3 Friends in my Heart

**Note: **Gah! Next chapter! I wasn't sure if the title sounded lame or whatnot. But I loved KHII soundtrack with this title. Remember? It was the one where the 3 friends reunited.

Care to review?

Revised 03/10/08

**Chapter 3 - Friends in My Heart **

X

_If Heaven and Hell decide  
That they both are satisfied  
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs_

X

Riku had spent the entire night calming himself down and thinking about what had happened on the school's rooftop while he was alone with the sleeping Sora.

So he was quite glad with himself that his cool exterior didn't falter when he opened the door as the bell rang and found Sora standing straight there, with Kairi slightly behind him, both grinning sheepishly.

Before he could ask, Sora spoke first.

"Riku, we have a change of plan! We're going to the island! Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie are already there." He announced.

When Riku's eyes briefly turned away from Sora, the smaller boy frowned a bit. "We're not going to ask you about your plans and all. And I'm not going to ask why you rushed off without us."

Riku's head tilted back at them, his aquamarine eyes slightly widened in surprise at the subject that was brought up, and even more, the abruptness it was said.

"So…what do you say?" Kairi inserted. "We won't force or beg you to come. But we hope you will, in case, your plans aren't too serious."

Riku's eyes dropped to the ground as he remained silent for a long while, seemingly thinking. Sora and Kairi exchanged glances and waited. Until Riku's gaze traveled back up to the two and a small smile tugged on his lips, then came a short reply that promised to made Sora and Kairi's day.

"Sure." Then he went over a little procedure of asking for his parents' consent and letting his friends met them for a 'hi.'

Way to go for him, he could still act normal around Sora. He had summed up the ability to keep his thoughts and emotions at bay within a night. He was thankful that he mastered the technique since when he was a kid. While Riku was thinking to himself, Sora interrupted his thoughts.

"Riku, have you had enough sleep?" Sora stepped in front of Riku and made a gesture of circling around his own blue eyes. "You have dark circle under your eyes."

The addressed boy faltered…slightly. He looked away from Sora and happened to turn towards Kairi. Her expression told him she had caught something in his gaze. Riku cursed to himself then turned, looking ahead at the horizon and mumbled. "Hey, no questions, all right?"

"Oh! Ok." Sora clamped his hands over his mouth, realizing the promise he gave Riku earlier. It wasn't that he agreed not to ask about any other subject than why Riku left him in a rush or what plans he had. But Riku was coming and for that, he would do as his friend had requested. He turned, starting to lead. "Let's go, they're waiting!"

Riku whirled back and motioned to Kairi who smiled back, and they started to jog after Sora who was pulling ahead.

Kairi's gaze locked onto Riku's back as she wondered about the look in his eyes when it came to Sora.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

They were good; like old times. Despite how they had been apart for a year and grown up, Riku felt that all of them were still the same.

When the three of them reached the island and met the others, Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka didn't ask about his unexpected, but appreciated arrival or what happened to his said plans. They were just happy to see him.

They settled down and talked for while. Riku surprised himself when he talked more than usual, a little though not much. It might be the result of how good he felt, and how grateful he was for his friends. They played a Blitzball game and sparred, both of which Tidus lost to Riku and Sora. He voiced his puzzlement at how they became so good.

When they all grew a little tired, each retreated to their usual spot. Wakka was playing Blitzball on his own. Tidus was practicing with the sword in the vast area beside the tree house, claiming to beat Riku and Sora next time. And Selphie and Kairi were sitting at the pier, swinging their feet while chatting and giggling.

Kairi stole a glance towards Riku and Sora from time to time, observing them. She saw them lounging on the Paopu Tree where they all used to sit together, talking about the worlds that lie beyond what they could see. She sure felt something different about them, and noticed something was going on between the two.

On the other side, Riku and Sora only sat in silence as they gazed off into the horizon, something they never tired of.

"Good day, huh?" Sora finally said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, thanks to you for asking me out." Riku answered.

"Thanks to Kairi, Selphie, Tidus and Wakka as well, huh?" reminded the brunet.

"I will." Riku smiled softly. "I would have only sat or lay around all day staring into blank space at home."

"So you really have no plans today though you said-" Realizing, what he was saying, Sora immediately clamped a hand over his mouth and looked aside to Riku who was still gazing ahead. Sora studied him for any hints of dissent, but then became aware of Riku's own words. _'But he let that off himself?'_

"Yeah, I had no plans, really. Just that…I'm not sure what to be around them." The silver-haired boy confessed.

"Riku." Sora started. "You're telling me this because you trust me, right?" Upon seeing the other nodded, he continued. "And how is it different with them?" Sora then bent a little closer to Riku who didn't respond, emphasizing the point. "Tidus and Wakka might not have helped us fight the Heartless but they did stay by our side when we fought bullies. Selphie might not have brought us home like Kairi did, but she sure missed us and wanted to see us again."

"I know, Sora. I know." Replied Riku calmly. _'But they don't know about my darkness. It would not be the same if they knew about my darkness.'_ With that thought, his eyes moved to Sora unconsciously. He wondered if all of his other friends would be the same as his two best friends who had known full well about his darkness and yet accepted him as who he was. Of all the people he met in his life, only Sora was immune to changes when it came to their bond.

Aquamarine eyes snapped a little wide at his own thought. 'Sora, immune to changes?' Changes about their relationship? Yes, it was obvious that Sora would always be his best friend. And Riku was confused to find that he wasn't entirely glad about it. 'Why,' he asked himself. Sora didn't judge him for what had happened. Sora still considered him best friend. They were back to their normal lives, which was more than he could ever ask for.

What more could he ask for?

Then the image of him, over a sleeping Sora on the school's rooftop came back to him.

All for nothing. He had spent the whole night getting that picture out of his mind and here it came back again. Trains of thoughts started to flow in but he was interrupted by the subject of them.

"Riku!"

He snapped his head to the side, meeting Sora's blue eyes. Sora had his both hands on the tree trunk, while he turned to face the taller boy fully.

Riku already had his hands over his face, palm pressing against his forehead, attempting to ease down the headache that formed on his mind. And maybe more, to hide from his friend. He glared through the one eye that could visibly see Sora. The smaller boy was so close. This close. Without him knowing it, he automatically pushed himself aside, to get far from Sora, and not being aware that he was already close to the end of the tree trunk, fell to the side.

The taller boy could have landed gracefully on his feet from the fall, if not for Sora had urgently grabbed him, intending to prevent the fall, but failed in the process as he lose his own balance and slipped off as well. They tumbled to the ground, but not before Riku had gotten control of the situation and used his own body to avoid Sora from hitting the ground.

Riku himself hit the ground; when he opened his eyes, Sora was right above him with his own still shut as he exclaimed, "Ouch that hurts!" The silver-haired boy peered up at the brunet who opened his eyes later and realized the position they were in. "Sorry! Riku!" He scurried to get off but was held back by strong hands grabbed him, preventing him from getting up.

They just remained…there.

Riku absentmindedly peered up, while Sora looked questioningly back at him for sometime before saying, "Riku? What's wrong?"

Only then was Riku pulled to his conscience and let go of Sora's hand. The brunet got off easily and dragged himself to his feet. He turned to look at his still sitting friend and offered a hand. Riku stared at the hand but not at him, taking it as he got up. And as he did, he hissed in pain, smoothing his feature shortly after.

Still Sora didn't miss it, he asked. "You're hurt? Sorry, because of me-"

Riku quickly shook his head. "Not you. It's the old wound from fighting Xemnas back then."

Blue eyes looked up and backed down at Riku's right torso; Sora brought his hand up and poked it slightly. The taller one winced at that. "Still because of me. You took that blow instead of me. And now you're hurt again because you stopped me from falling."

"Stop it, Sora." Riku commanded, almost coldly. He had just absentmindedly tried on Sora to see his reaction, but his friend just didn't get it, being how naïve he was. Becoming a little agitated, he didn't want to argue right now. Sensing Sora would comply, he thought he would be free of the little worry but then he spoke.

"What's this?" The brunet brought Riku's left hand up, leveling it between the two of them.

Riku's eyes widened at his own wrist.

Sometime along the way, either from the fall or him preventing Sora from getting up, his white clothed armband had been brushed off halfway, but enough to reveal his wrist with a dark stained on it. He tried to yank his hand away, but Sora refused, already having it in a firm grip with all his strength, then started studying the wrist.

Riku heard Sora gasped softly.

All the time they had been reunited, Sora hadn't bother to notice Riku always covered his left wrist to his mid forearm with a cloth band or sometimes a wrist band up until now. He only thought it was Riku's usual style and all.

Now he could see clearly why Riku had to wear something on his wrist all the time.

On Riku's wrist, it revealed to Sora the intricate swirls of black marks; it took the shape of blood vessels, as if the dark marks were crawling out and on his skin.

"Riku! What is it!?" Sora snapped his head up at Riku anxiously, tightening his clutch on Riku's hand.

The taller one looked away, sighing softly. "It's nothing, really."

"RIKU!!" The boy yelled.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you. Just…" His voice came out harsh at first but it took on a softer tone when he saw his friend's face. "…calm down." Sora's strength gave out a little, and Riku took the chance to pull his hand back, adjusting the white cloth to cover up those small black marks on his wrist. "It's just…the mark of darkness." Riku's tone of voice pretending it wasn't a big deal.

Sora frowned restlessly. "I don't understand."

"It's the side effect of turning into Xehanort's form and wielding the power of darkness." Riku lifted his own covered wrist and peered at it. "Diz had told me it would happen, the mark of a person who shouldered the darkness." Knowing how Sora was feeling right now, he turned to the boy and smiled reassuringly. "It just took a physical form but no harm done. It won't spread, and it has no effect." Riku shook his wrist limply back and forth to demonstrate the point. "Just a scar that's all."

"Are you sure? Riku? Are you sure that it won't spread, and it's harmless? How can you tell?" Sora threw in more questions, troubled in his eyes.

"Ansem the wise told me so, I don't feel any different by it, and Xemnas didn't threaten me on it. Those should be the answers." The silver-haired shrugged nonchalantly. "Come on, Sora. I'm telling you already. There's nothing to worry about."_ 'Except that I have to keep my darkness at bay in order not to let the dark scar spread.'_

"Except Diz…Ansem the wise, does anyone else know about this?" Sora tried, not dropping the subject.

"King Mickey does." Riku then stated. With that, Sora sighed as if in relief, his small shoulders dropping slightly, causing Riku to add, "Why?"

Blue eyes glared back up. "If King Mickey knew and didn't warned me anything about it before he left, then I can take it as a non-danger." Then Sora brought his hands up to his chin, seemingly thinking and snapped his head back up to the taller boy again. "But wait…don't tell me you made him promise to never let me know this too!"

Riku blinked. "Well, I didn't." He stepped closer, with arms wide opened to his side. "So you don't believe me when I said to you it is not a threat?"

To his surprise, Sora nodded. "How can you expect me to believe you? When I asked you about that wound you got from the battle, you said it already healed when it hadn't. Now I wonder if you were just lying to me about being fine every time I ask you."

He couldn't help wondering just why Riku always failed to protect himself, but would not with him.

He could have died if Riku wasn't with him back there.

The older of the two was obviously taken aback by that. When he eyed Sora, he saw that the boy was waiting for his respond.

"Sora!! Riku!!" Kairi called in as she ran up to them, with Selphie close behind her.

Riku turned his attention to the two girls, thinking he was saved by the interruption. "Well, what's up?" Riku asked with the words he barely used, trying to be cheerful.

Kairi looked up while puffing, and glanced to Sora who had his gaze locked on the ground, then she glanced back up at Riku again. "We saw you fell down the trunk, and…"

Riku's heart beat a little faster for the first time since he came back. His eyes immediately traveled to the dock where Kairi and Selphie had been sitting earlier. From there, it could be overlook to the Paopu Tree on the isle that they were on. But when they fell down, the spot where Riku had refused to let go of Sora was out off sight, blocking with boulders. He sighed. 'Safe.'

Then again, it brought him to his senses. That his two best friends were…practically in a more of romantic relationship than being just best friends. And he couldn't really understand why the left side of his chest hurt.

So far, Kairi hadn't been giving Sora the kind of affection or hints about how she felt towards him, especially not in front of Riku. Or was it Kairi only doing that when he wasn't around? And Sora was the same way. Not that people in school said things about them being a couple either, though they said it was obvious that they liked each other. Riku had come to the conclusion that Sora was having a hard time catching up with school stuffs, but then again, that shouldn't really be an obstacle for him.

And come to think of it, Sora had been hanging around with him more than with Kairi.

Riku interrupted his own train of thoughts as his friends' still required attention from him. He listened as Kairi continued.

"…well, and…" Kairi trailed off, smiling weakly and looked to the two. "Are you two fighting, or what? Sora shouted."

Sora's droopy gaze snapped back up, looking at the redhead. It must have been him yelling, Riku yanking his hand out of Sora's grip, Riku pressing his palm against his forehead that let the girl to think that they were fighting.

He slowly shook his head. "No, it's…nothing. It was just…" He suddenly snapped his head and glared at Riku, eyes showing anger. "…Just that Riku was a jerk!! And I'm so angry!" With that he ran off like a kid.

The three only watched the brunet leave in slight shock. Kairi finally cleared her throat after a short silence; then putting both her hands up on her hips, she turned to the taller boy. "Now, what have you done to him!?"

Riku's eyes still lingered at where Sora had gone off to, since he knew Kairi wasn't really angry with him by the action she posed.

Getting no response from the boy, two girls exchanged glances, and Kairi's face set into a worry frown. "Riku?" The boy slowly turned to her, and Kairi tried again, tilting her head to the side. "Riku, you want to go after Sora?"

Aquamarine eyes went wide unexpectedly. "What?"

"Seems like you guys have things unsettled. We're sorry to interrupt, but you better go…if you want to." Selphie explained, understanding Kairi's point.

Riku looked at them a long while before letting off a soft chuckle as one of his feet took a step ahead. "Thanks." He ruffled both girls' hair and dashed off.

"Well, that had been a while that that Riku pat our head like that." Selphie trailed off as she reached and touched her head where Riku's hand had left, feeling warmth. But seeing Kairi had taken place of Riku's earlier action, which is gazing longingly to the path where the two boys had left off, she asked. "Kairi? Which one are you yearning for?"

Kairi blushed, turning to her best friend, brown eyes went wide. "Wha…what!?"

"Is it Sora?" Selphie asked innocuously.

Kairi gazed dropped to the side. "Unn, but things changed…Sora's changed after all. I'm not so sure."

Selphie studied her friend and frankly spoke up her curiosity. "Sora's still the same. What do you mean he's changed, is it something about him with someone? Is it him towards you and Riku?"

"You noticed that!?" The taller of the two asked immediately.

The curly haired girl stuck out a tongue playfully. "I felt that."

Kairi sighed at that. Her best friend was a dreamy romantic girl after all, much more than herself. How could she not notice it? Maybe, just maybe she needed Selphie's advice on this to sort things out better.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Oww, I lost again. Sora, when did you get so good!?" Tidus whined as he lied on the sandy beach where he had come down and met Sora who ran from somewhere. He insisted they dueled and Sora seemed more than eager for the match, looking frustrated with something and seemingly wanting to vent it.

Sora was still red and huffing. Only half of it was from the fight; the other half was from the earlier occurrence before he bumped into Tidus. He only frowned, not responding to Tidus's comment.

Wakka, sitting near them, and watching them as he twirled the Blitzball between fingers, noticed the fourth person's arrival.

A shadow fell on the prone form of Tidus, when he opened his eyes, he saw Riku there, bending down and grabbing the wooden sword from him. "Time to switch, Tidus." He announced as he stepped in the sandy sparring ground, watching Sora who was startled to see him, and eyes widened when he took the weapon from Tidus.

By now, Tidus had got up and scooted himself to sit beside Wakka, deciding it was better to just watch rather than fight it himself. He already wondered which one would win since both of them had left him far behind already.

Riku positioned himself in front of Sora.

An angry frown turned into one of troubling. Sora's hand that gripped the wooden sword dropped to the side and he trailed off. "Riku?"

"It's been a year, Sora." Riku smiled as he swung the wooden sword in his hand, trying with it. He pointed the sword to Sora, and the younger one looked hesitate. "How about a quick round?"

"I'm not fighting you." Sora said firmly, eyes looking to the side.

"Why? You're afraid of losing?" Riku used the word as their old days, although it didn't come out naturally just like before.

"Yeah!" Sora extended his hand, showing impatience. "I'm afraid of this…of having to fight you ever again! I-"

"Sora." Riku cut in, understanding his friend's thought and where this was leading to. When Sora slowly turned to him, he held out the wooden sword and another hand pointed to it. "What is this?"

The brunet frowned. "A wooden sword?"

"Exactly." Riku smiled approvingly. "It's not Keyblade or anything, Sora. It's just a game, all right?"

Tidus and Wakka exchanged glances. "Keyblade? What are they talking about? And why Sora was so grumpy about it?"

Sora suddenly looked as if he'd just been waked up after he'd caught sleeping in class by a teacher and the whole class has laughed at him for it. He felt dense as his thoughts were easily bothered when it came to the subject of his best friend. What was he thinking anyway? Had he not always been the optimistic person, and never falling prey to old memories?

"Come on, Sora. It'll be like old times." Riku stated; earnestness in his voice.

The boy blinked for a while as the words sank in. 'Like old times, huh?' Finally he tightened the hold of his wooden sword handle and dropped into a fighting stance. "Let's go, Riku." Sora finally let off a confident smile.

Riku smirked slightly.

Sora charged right in. It had mostly been that way, Sora attacked first, and got blocked off easily by Riku.

"Still angry at me?" Riku asked as Sora closed in on him.

Blue eyes looked up startled, lips slightly apart.

Riku liked the look on Sora's face. He used to like it, thinking it was funny, now, there was a different reason. He tried to brush that off. Somehow, he had hoped that this fight could make him back into his usual self, if not the one who he used to be…then at least to get rid of his certain feeling when he was around his best friend.

He pushed Sora off with a force that Sora stumbled back ward, probably still tired of an earlier round with Tidus.

Sora got up and shot a look. "Right! Still angry!"

The taller boy advanced closer, swinging the sword up, readying to go down to Sora, but the target managed to roll aside. Riku followed and charged right in as Sora gasped, bringing the hilt of his wooden sword up and blocked Riku's attack, his legs pressing the sand at the back, slipping inches by inches with Riku's forceful push.

"I didn't want you to worry." Riku trailed off.

Both boys had their swords locked with each other, trying to push the other out, still, both refused to let go as they stood their ground.

"I'd worry more if I don't know what's been going on with you." Sora spoke through gritted teeth, and with a sudden strength from somewhere inside of him, Sora shoved Riku back.

He had_ always _known when Riku was hurt, he even knew the last time Riku got stomach ache while Riku's own mother didn't noticed. And Sora didn't like it one bit that he was loosing that skill, while in fact, it was just Riku's ability to hide it away from Sora.

Riku, as if being weakened by Sora's dispute words, remained crouch on the ground. Sora took the opportunity to lounge forward, preparing to land a final blow on Riku to win, but his eyes caught something small in his way, a small orange crab. He missed the right step in order to avoid stepping on the crab and clumsily fell flat right in front of Riku.

There was a short silence before the space was filled with laughter, particularly from the two on-looker boys. Shortly after, the giggles joined in, when Riku looked up, Kairi and Selphie was on the wooden bridge above them, probably been there for while. Riku himself has chuckled a lot as he knocked softly the back of Sora's head with the tip of his wooden sword.

"Riku won!" Tidus announced as Riku threw the sword away.

Sora, weakly pushed himself out of the sand, face first, coughing out the sand in his mouth, and looked around in embarrassment. "H…hey!! It was an accident!!" But no one bothered to care for his reason, although they did ask if he was all right.

As the two girls, who just walked back down and joined the earlier on-lookers, avoided the little red crab that skipped pass them, had subsided with their giggles and took on a sympathetic feminine side. "Oww, Sora was just trying to save the little crab."

By now, Riku still chuckled as he reached to pull his friend up. Sora got to his feet but fell immediately.

The brunet made a face, and Riku, noticing it, bent down and studied Sora's ankle. "Wow, a Keyblade hero who had saved the world twice just got sprained ankle, trying to save a little crab that was in between his way and the duelist." He whispered with a light smirk, and received Sora's helpless swat at him.

When the other four noticed Sora wasn't able to get up and therefore probably was injured by the fall, their laughter died down. They then started gathering themselves closer and took on concern faces.

"You got hurt or something?" Tidus asked.

Sora quickly shook his head and smiled brightly. "Nah-ah, just a sprained ankle, nothing much! I'll be fine!" He cheerfully said, getting up, and fell back down again. Riku reached and tapped his shoulder unapprovingly and motioned for the boy to stay still.

"Well, maybe we should call it a day, ya?" Wakka motioned to the horizon where the sun was making its way into the sea. "It's already late. Sora can ride my back if he can't walk." The Blitzball player offered kindly as he pushed a thumb up his chest, his usual behavior when a brotherly act was offered.

"No. I got him." With Riku's word, Sora blinked. "I'll take Sora home." Riku stated as he turned his back to face Sora. He started pulling Sora's arms up to his shoulders. Kairi automatically helped Sora get on Riku's back with the brunet still baffling.

"Just like old times, eh?" Wakka commented, thinking back where Sora used to be an outgoing boy, running around, tripping over things and getting hurt. Riku had always been there to help him up.

"Ok, shall we leave then?" Kairi announced.

Everyone nodded, and they walked together to the nearby dock.

"Riku." Sora fidgeted, whispering at his friend's back. "Your injury…"

"Won't hurt if you're not moving around, so stay still." Riku whispered back.

Kairi has been watching them, although she couldn't hear what they were talking. She didn't mean to pry into it, but she did want to know. Then she felt someone was watching her as well. When she turned to the side, it was Selphie. And her best friend was giving her a look of concern. Kairi looked back, puzzled at first, but when her eyes traveled to her former best friends, the redhead realized why her friend was looking at her like that. She sighed softly as she continued walking. Her heart clenched as she saw Sora, being childish now, unconsciously nuzzle into Riku's back.

'_I know it now.'_

They sailed back to the dock at the main island. Wakka had sailed Sora's boat since Sora was with Riku, and he didn't bring his own boat this time, coming to the island with Tidus. Wakka's and Tidus's house were one way, Selphie and Kairi another, and Riku and Sora was a third.

Before they separated, Selphie had called out. "Riku!"

Riku turned to her, while adjusting Sora's position on his back. "Huh?"

"It's really good you came. We're glad you did," Selphie spoke, almost shyly. "Hope we can all come together next time."

Riku and Sora almost cracked a smile. And where was he during the past year in Selphie's and the others' memories? Sure they didn't ask one word about them being gone for a year, they didn't know. Riku, Sora, and Kairi didn't want to question with their friends at Destiny Island about how they were in the past year. They didn't know the consequences, not knowing how Namine's chain of memories about them worked.

Somehow, they just felt it. Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka sometimes said or did things as if they were parted for a year. They would always have a small void space in their hearts and memories when it came to Sora and Riku in the past year particularly.

Sora and Riku could only be quiet and ignored the subject.

With Selphie's words, Kairi, Tidus and Wakka also turned, giving him the smiles that promised of tomorrow.

"See? Told ya." Sora whispered softly from Riku's back.

Riku smiled warmly back at them and nodded approvingly before nodding. "Sure. See you at school then."

They waved goodbyes and head to their own directions.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The sun had set itself on the horizon, creating a hue of orange mending with the green of ocean and blue sky.

"You're unusually quiet." Riku spoke, as he walked leisurely with Sora on his back. He felt the boy's head snapped up from his back; probably the blue eyes were staring hard at him. He realized the boy's nuzzle against his back was an act of his absent mind. He wondered if Sora did that just because he was sleepy.

"It's comfy here." Sora murmured, not thinking.

"Huh?" Riku tilted his head a little, couldn't quite catch the other boy's words.

"Trying not to disturb you." Sora mended, realizing what an awkward sentence he had let out earlier. He didn't really realize how broad Riku's shoulders had gotten after all.

"Oh." The taller boy replied and decided to add. "Just know it now?"

Sora made a growling voice. "Hmph, I know I owe you, an ice-cream, have you forgot? Anytime!" With that Sora wrapped his arms around Riku's neck and he shifted to put his chin on the older boy's shoulder.

Riku felt himself winced at the touch. Sora must have acted out of a friendly gesture, but to Riku it was overwhelming. He only nodded and tried to pick up his pace a little faster.

"Sora." Riku started, trying to pull his attention away from the thoughts that ran in his head. "About me not telling you things back then…" He waited while Sora made a sound that showed interest. "I need you to understand that I cannot tell you everything."

Sora shifted his head off of Riku's shoulder, and looked at Riku's back, both hands on the other boy's shoulder; then he turned and looked to the horizon. "That is disappointing to hear."

"Things changed, Sora. I changed. Everyone knows that I changed." Riku trailed off calmly. _'And I can't just tell you about this feeling I'm having right now, even to myself cannot say it.' _"I can't help it."

"You're pretty much the same Riku I used to know." Sora stated firmly. "Still a smart ass to me, smirking, and mocking." He commented and added. "Only that…you're awfully kind to me and sometimes I felt you're far off and sometimes you're so close…nah…what am I saying…but I'm more than okay with you now anyway."

Riku had stayed quiet, and Sora didn't push, hoping his last statement would made its way into Riku's head. They remained unspoken until they reached Sora's house. Stepping up the door steps, Sora reached for the doorbell.

When the door swung open, Sora lifted his hand up in a cheerful greeting to his mother while Riku nodded politely with a "Good evening."

"Oh, Sora! Riku! Come in, come in." Sora mother offered a welcoming smile as she let the boys in the house. "Sora, what have you done this time? And bothering Riku like this." The mother pushed her hands up the hips, as if she was angry and Sora who, after being set on a couch, tried to duck his head behind Riku's back.

Riku suppressed his chuckled and spoke for the poor boy. "It's not a bother, Ma'am. Sora just fell, trying to avoid stepping on a crab."

The mother looked thoughtfully for moment as Sora's head came into view and she pushed a finger at her face thoughtfully before she said. "Guess I can let that slip." Then she clasped her hands together and turned her attention on Riku. "You'll stay for dinner, right? Riku."

"Uh…well," The boy mumbled.

Sora just knew Riku was about to brushed it off with his polite words, he then pushed. "Mom can make mashed potatoes that Riku likes, right?" Then he turned to tuck at Riku's shirt. "Come on, Riku. You haven't eaten at my house since we've been back!"

Both house's owners turned to grin at him at the same time. If there was one thing in common with Sora and his mother, it was the grin when they offered something, and people could hardly resist it. "Well…okay…"

With that, Sora's mother nodded approvingly and realized. "Oh! I have to tend Sora's…sprain?" She guessed correctly.

"It's okay; I'll take care of it." Riku stated as he made his way to the cupboard.

The mother beamed gratefully at him. "Thank you, Riku, you always have watched over Sora."

The said boy, already having bandages and meds in his hand, blushed slightly. "It's nothing, Ma'am, really."

The woman's smile became widened as she tapped Riku's shoulder. "I trust Sora with you." With that, she skipped happily off to the kitchen and she poked her head out. "You better call and tell your mother, so she won't worry!" Then she went back and busying herself with making dinner.

When Riku turned his attention back to his friend, and frowned upon the look on Sora's face. "What?"

"Teehee!" Sora was ginning half like a lunatic. "Riku's blushing."

Riku closed his eyes in desperation and sat himself on the couch next to his friend. "Better mind your sprained ankle, a Keyblade master who tripped and fell trying to save a little crab."

"Hey! Stop that already." Time for Sora to blush and Riku smirked.

Riku tended Sora wound easily; the smaller boy thanked him and waited for the dinner to be ready.

The dinner was served by the time Sora's father came home. They had talked and ate, having a friendly and family conversation. Both adults stared at Riku for a long while and commented that Riku had grown up a lot and a good looking one at that too, while they remarked that their son hadn't grown much at all. The older boy laughed at the last comment while the younger one retorted.

Yet again that the two boys felt as if their parents haven't seen them in a year with the conversation they have, but nonetheless, everything was perfectly fine.

Riku had laughed a lot with the conversation he had with Sora's dinner table. His own parents were always busy and didn't really spend much time eating together. His father worked until late and his mother usually had social parties to attend to. The silver-haired boy mostly ate alone at home. He didn't mind though, he had homework to finish, had friends to see, had places to stay and had thoughts to think about, he hardly ever felt lonely in the absence of his parents.

After the meal, the boys went to their room, as they normally did.

Riku looked around, noting there was not a change in Sora's room. Clothes scattered on the floor, things untidy and messy, yet it held the air that warmly summed up the owner of the room itself.

They sat for awhile. With Riku sat to the side of Sora. Out of nowhere, the brunet just moved closer and Riku realized about it. Sora suddenly reached and pulled up the hem of Riku's shirt, just the side of it, revealing a dark mark upon a pale skin.

Oceanic green eyes went wide as he glared at blue ones that still were fixed on his bare skin, or rather to be precise, his wounds.

"What are you doing?"

Sora ignored Riku's question and poked the area softly which caused Riku to wince, though he smoothed his face into normal expression when blue eyes looked up at him.

"Still hurt?" Sora asked.

"That's because you poked it." Riku closed his eyes, brushing small hand off and frowning impatiently.

Sora then retreated and sat back down, thinking to himself how his friend, despite how many people spoke about Riku's perfection, had so many wounds and scars inside. He wondered how many more that he didn't know of there might be.

'_Oh, darn. Don't make that face Sora…I would…'_ Riku's eyes averted from the other one. "Would you quit moping around?" He couldn't really grasp that Sora, a normally happy-go-lucky friend of his, would sulk so much at this rate. At that thought, he came to a sudden realization. It was because this was about him, was it? That Sora was like this? Was he that important?

But then this thought led him to another one that Riku had thought or he believed he knew before hand, that there was a more important person to Sora.

Kairi.

Sure he was important, Sora obviously made him think that they were best friends ever. But Kairi was more than a best friend to Sora, and Sora likely would feel the same way. Riku sighed regretfully at that and wondered why he should get the sick feeling in his chest. He should have known right then and there when he closed the Kingdom Hearts Sora and Kairi were supposedly destined to be together. He did tell Sora to take care of Kairi, since he knew they have feelings for each other.

And when they were in the World That Never Was, Roxas and Namine promised to be together every time Sora and Kairi were together, wasn't that supposed to be the reasonable and logical way to explain about Sora and Kairi's relationship? Moreover, Kairi had remembered Sora when her memories of Sora were taken away from her. And Sora, had had Kairi as the most important person to him. Riku had learned that from Namine, hadn't he?

His eyes grew darker and darker by the thoughts.

"Rikuuu…What are you thinking, blanking off like that?" Sora waved his hand in front of Riku's face.

The said boy snapped out of his thoughts, he turned to the other boy and looked at him for a long while.

The brunet only stared back naively at him.

Riku was reminded of how Sora had thought that he hadn't been paying much attention to Riku that let him to be drowned by darkness. What Sora was doing right now, he believed, was he was afraid of his friend be dragged into the darkness again if he wasn't around. Kairi also must have the same thought as she always tried to get them together, being one to leave herself out, so Riku wouldn't be. And that was why Sora and Kairi hadn't already been together and ended up being something more than best friends now.

'_I…can't do this. I'm…between the two of them.'_

Aquamarine eyes stared out the window where the sky began to darken by the time of seven, and he could tell immediately. "It's late, I have to get back."

Sora looked up at him and at the clock. "Well…okay."

Riku noticed, but tried not to care. _Was that the disappointment in Sora's voice?_

They got up and down, Riku saying goodbyes to the adults, nodding politely as they asked him to come again next time. As both boys were at the door, Sora told. "See you at usual spot on Monday then." It was meant to be their meeting spot where they walked to school together everyday. Then the brunet found it peculiar that Riku took so long to reply.

"I'm going early on Monday, to clear up something I left hanging. You can go with Kairi." Riku stated neutrally.

Sora didn't put a thought into that as he merely replied. "Oh? Well, see you at school then. Thanks a lot for today."

They waved goodbye and Riku walked home, making up his mind, although how much it wounded him inside.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Riku is in love with Sora." Came the squeaky voice of Selphie.

"WHAT!?" Shouted Kairi in disbelieve.

They were at Selphie's house. After they had separated from their friends, Kairi had nudged Selphie that there was something she needed consult and advice. After, when Sora and Riku were gone the year before, Selphie had become her best friend and Selphie had always been the only girl she could talk about things that girls usually talk to each other.

The curly-haired girl cleared her throat. "Sorry, I forgot to put 'I think…'"

Kairi smacked her forehead softly, expression showed nothing but confusion. She always believed Selphie in this kind of thing. At school, Selphie sometimes loved to predict about who would be a couple, and she was right more than half of the time. Her best friend was a romantic girl who was an expert in love's affairs, and could easily interpret and translate the language of love, despite not really having a real boyfriend just yet.

"So you think…" Kairi trailed off, still shocking with the frank words that Selphie had put it "…So I'm not the only one who thinks…"

"You've noticed it too, did you?" Selphie took a cup and sipped at her tea, then she reached for a plate of chocolate cookies and offered it to Kairi, who gratefully took one from it, but held it in her fingers as she opted to speak first.

"Sure there is something more to them, but I thought it's only the consequence of what they went through together." Kairi trailed off.

"Been through together?" Selphie eyed the redhead questioningly.

Violet eyes widened slightly, Kairi had just realized that she shouldn't say that. Selphie didn't know anything about them being gone, she agitated before she finally took a bite at her cookie. "This's good." She commented, hoping the conversation would lead to somewhere else.

Luckily enough…

"It's my favorite, have some more." Selphie replied as she pushed the plate nearer to her friend, and continued with the earlier subject. "I don't know what they've been through, must have been strong enough."

Kairi averted the look. Selphie, along with Tidus and Wakka had always dropped the subject easily when it came to something about Sora and Riku in the past one year despite how much Selphie and Tidus were sometimes so eager to understand everything fully.

"They're still the same." Kairi smiled sadly as she brought her knees up, her arms wrapping around them, and bowed her head between her folded arms. "Both of them always were together before I came. When I became friends with them, they made sure that I didn't feel left out, being the only girl when you hadn't yet shown up.

Selphie studied her friend and out of nowhere, asked concernedly. "You still like him, don't you?" She paused as Kairi looked up questioningly at her. "I mean…Sora."

Violet eyes suddenly widened, then gazed forlornly to the side. "I do. I used to think Sora felt the same way, but I'm not sure anymore." Kairi thought back to the time when the three of them reunited. She remembered Sora's behavior upon seeing each of them.

"Well, I don't know about Sora." Selphie stated as she gazed up to the ceiling, fingers poking her chin, seemingly thinking. "Though a year ago, I could see he was more into you than Riku. But now, I can't tell, it's like…he's on a balance line."

Kairi's gazed dropped to the floor. "Hmm, maybe Sora didn't know it yet, who meant the most to him." Then she let out a soft laugh. "He's so slow in this kind of thing." Violet eyes became sad again. "But that's why I like him…and maybe that's why Riku likes him as well."

Selphie's eyes traveled back down to her friend concernedly, knowing her friend was troubling by the situation she'd been thrown into. "Kairi, don't jump to conclusion just yet."

"I know." The redhead looked up, trying to be cheerful. 'I got my friends back, what more can I ask for?' She thought to herself.

"Maybe we're thinking too much. Maybe there's nothing at all. Just wait and see, how does that sound?" Selphie suggested.

Kairi nodded to that, but still she believed in what she saw more.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Another Monday came.

"He's already at school?" Kairi asked, referring to Riku when she met Sora at the usual spot.

Sora nodded.

"Well then…let's go." Kairi turned from Sora, knowing her eyes must looked so suspiciously right now with the curiosity in her head. She shook it slightly, auburn hair swinging from side to side. _'I'm thinking too much! Riku must have his business. Why would he avoid us?'_

They headed to school.

All the while, Kairi couldn't help feeling she liked it when she was alone with Sora. She liked it now, more than ever.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Another Monday rolled around.

"He's already at school?" Kairi asked, referring to Riku when she met Sora at the usual spot.

Sora nodded.

"Well then…let's go." Kairi turned from Sora, knowing her eyes must looked so suspiciously right now with the curiosity in her head. She shook it slightly, auburn hair swinging from side to side. _'I'm thinking too much! Riku must have his business. Why would he avoid us?'_

They headed to school.

All the while, Kairi couldn't help feeling she liked it when she was with Sora alone. She liked it now, more than ever.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Fic Note:** About Riku's armband, I figured I could use some plot on that. Well, I once thought that something was wrong with Riku's arm when he converted back from Ansem to his form. When he walked, his left arm didn't swing naturally like his right one. And the way he stood, it was like inclining towards one side. Plus, he didn't have left palm up when fighting like he did in KHI+Com. Anyhow, it turned out that nothing was wrong with his arm! And I might have imagining them myself.


	6. Ch 4 Walking Together

**Chapter 4 Walking Together **

Revised 04/10/08

Kairi had seen things change. To her great satisfaction, she had more time with Sora alone. The boy she liked didn't seem to mind, but to Kairi's distress, it was Riku that had left them together intentionally. Every time she came around, Riku would announce himself leaving, claiming he had something to do. Lately Riku rarely went home with them and although he didn't do it obviously, she still knew that something was up. She had seen the look in Riku's eyes when he looked upon the person she herself liked most.

Despite how much she enjoyed being alone with Sora, and the fact that people had started calling them a couple, she felt like smacking Riku upside the head for once.

One late afternoon after the school, she came up to Sora's room. She was surprised to see Sora spacing out at his seat, alone. His dimmed blue eyes gazed dazedly at the blank space in front of him, his chin lay on the table, and his shoulders sagged droopily.

The redhead scooted in. "What's wrong, Sora? You're not going to the playground court? Tidus and Wakka are expecting you there."

Sora didn't look up, but acknowledged her presence. "…Kairi…?"

Kairi knelt so that she was level with Sora's table and looked at him concernedly. "Is something wrong? Did a teacher scold you or something?"

The boy shook his head, side to side, chin scraping at his desk. "I really don't have that problem anymore. I've gotten lots better since Riku started tutoring me from time to time."

"Oh, your mother asked him to do that, right? So you don't have problems catching up with your lessons anymore?" Kairi tilted her head to the side inquisitively.

"That…is the problem, Kairi." Sora brought himself to speak as his eyes slid half-closed. "Riku barely comes to me anymore unless it's for the tutoring. I wonder why…I feel like he's…avoiding me. And I sure can't think of what I did to make him angry. I tried asking him, indirectly of course. You know what he said to me? He told me he wanted to be alone and it's his nature to be so distant. He said he'd grown tired of my chattering, but I'm sure that I don't talk that much when he doesn't want to listen. I always thought that Riku knew that I know when to shut up. Still, he told me that I'm clinging to him too much. He said that I'm worried about him because I'm afraid that, if I don't pay attention to him, he would get mad. He told me not to worry, if that was the case. Okay, I may not be worrying about him, but…are you listening, Kairi?"

Sora's gaze finally settled on Kairi, whose eyes were turned sideways, seemingly thinking more than listening.

"I really am talking too much, aren't I? That's why Riku doesn't want to be around me." Sora's forehead dropped to his table, causing an audible thud and a terrible pain. He couldn't care less.

"No, you don't," Kairi comforted. "Riku just…has his own things to deal with."

Sora looked up, surprised by Kairi's statement. "And what is it that he can't tell us?" He looked down at the desk as his hands curled into tight fists. "Why can't he tell me if he has problems?"

'That's because it's probably about you, you goof!' The girl swore inside. "Sora, why don't you go to the playground court and play ball with Wakka and Tidus? I'll try to get Riku to come too."

"Hmm…okay." Sora nodded as he got up, accepting Kairi's approving smile. "You know where Riku is? Should I come with you to get him?"

"No, I may have a greater chance of finding him if you're around, since you run into Riku most of the time, but I have something I need to talk to him about," Kairi replied automatically and started when Sora's eyes turned curiously at her.

"And what would that be that I'm not a part of it?" Sora asked, with a tone of playful threatening.

"Oh! It's nothing really!" Kairi laughed sheepishly. She pushed Sora to get moving. "You just go to the playground court. I'll get Riku."

Sora was urged out of the room and turned right, while Kairi turned left in search of the upperclassman.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

The brunette strode uninterested down the hallway, hands clasped behind his head. As Sora skipped down the stairway, he caught a glimpse of silver-hair poking out just behind the piles of heavy looking books that the boy was carrying. Blue eyes recognized it immediately.

"Riku," he called.

Riku, carrying the pile of books kept his steady pace up the stairs until he came to the same level as Sora. He did turn to the boy with a quick "Hi, Sora," but he didn't stop; instead, he continued up the stairs.

"Wait up, Riku! I'll help." Sora skipped back up the stairs, following his friend.

"No, I got it-" Riku replied without looking.

That made Sora advance up the stairs to the top. He extended his arms slightly, demonstrating that his friend wouldn't be going anywhere with thisใ

Riku peered up around his pile of books and cracked a confused grin. "Hey, you're in my way."

"Why do you have to do so much on your own, Riku?" An angry frown settled into a worried one as he glared down to Riku. "Have you forgotten what I said?" Sora raised one of his hands, emphasizing his point.

'_You've got friends…like us!'_

Riku heaved a long sigh as his gaze dropped, and then rose back up to his friend again. "…Okay, can you give me a hand?" He motioned for Sora to take some of his burden.

Sora nodded energetically as he took half the pile of heavy encyclopedias from Riku. "Got it, where to?" He asked as he stepped aside, letting Riku come up the stairs.

"5th Floor, teacher's room," Riku answered and they started off.

"I guess Kairi didn't find you then," Sora started.

"Hmm?" Riku spared him a glance.

"She said she was coming to get you to go the playground court, but she went to your class. I hope she's coming to the playground court anyway, even if she can't find you," Sora turned a sideways glance to Riku. "She said she had something to talk to you too about, and wouldn't let me come with her. It just so happened that I meet you first."

"Hmm…" Riku made no more of a comment than that.

It had always been that way, hadn't it? When the three of them weren't together, it was Riku and Sora that found each other most of the time, long before they found Kairi. Back then at Castle of Oblivion, one of the members of Organization XIII told Riku that he and Sora were so connected, that when one was brought to a place, the other was sure follow.

Together they reached the teacher's room, and fulfilled the teacher's request for books.

When they got themselves out and closed the door of the teacher's room, Riku turned his eyes on the smaller boy. "Thanks, Sora. That helped a lot; I was beginning to get sore myself." He swung his arms around, one hand clutching the back of his neck, trying to ease the strain. Sure Riku had strength that normal humans didn't have after what he'd been though, but that didn't mean that he couldn't strain himself with such manual labor.

"Not at all!" Sora beamed at him, then poked Riku's chest with his finger in a teasing manner. "See how much easier it was?"

Riku didn't respond, which Sora suddenly took it as the end of the conversation. He was starting to be aware that talking too much to Riku wasn't a good idea. To his unexpectation, Riku only reached out and ruffled his hair.

It seemed to both of them that it had been a _long_ time since Riku had done that.

"There you are!" Both boys turned in the direction of the exclamation and spotted their redheaded friend there.

Riku retracted his hand immediately, which was only too obvious to Kairi who made her way to the boys.

"Hey, Kairi." Riku greeted.

"Great, Sora found Riku before me again." Kairi complained as she turned to Sora, who simply grinned in reply. "Did you tell him we're going to the playground court?"

Before Sora could reply, Riku spoke up, "Um…I have to-"

"You're not going anywhere, Riku." She glared blazingly up at him while the taller boy could only look back nervously, adequately chastened. "Sora, help me with him."

The small boy nodded eagerly. He got to Riku's back and pushed his friend while Kairi pulled at his sleeve and ushered him in a general direction down the hallway.

"Hey!" The silver-haired boy could only protest helplessly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was only a few outdoor basketball games that Sora, Tidus, and Wakka played with their classmates while Riku and Kairi sat in the stands about the court. Riku had expressed his desire to not play and they didn't push him. At least he'd come with only minimal protest. Besides, the game would be quick anyway with such short school break before the cleaning shift started.

Riku watched Sora shoot the basketball while Kairi in turn watched him.

"Hmm?" The silver-haired boy made a sound, realizing the girl was studying him.

"Sora said you're avoiding him." Out of nowhere, Kairi just got to the point.

Kairi had always been kind and considerate; patient to the point of agony. However, her classmates also regarded her as a very straight-forward person, and sometimes quite bold. She wasn't afraid to roll up her sleeves if the situation called for it.

"So…are you?" She urged.

There was a long silence and there was no response from Riku.

"I find it hard to believe, considering the reason you told him you wanted to be alone was because he talks too much. You've been listening to him ranting for almost 10 years. You can't just be unable to stand it now." She bent forward, trying to get a closer look at Riku's face. "It's none of that, is it, Riku? You're keeping something from him. From us."

Riku's gaze remained straight ahead, where the group of boys was playing basketball.

From the corner of Kairi's eye she saw Sora shoot the ball, and get the final score. The brunet turned victoriously in his friend's direction, meeting Riku's eyes. He waved happily, which Riku only returned with a small smirk.

It was _that_ kind of smirk that Kairi learned that was different from all others. It was the kind that Riku had been giving to Sora only, and not anyone else.

"You like Sora, don't you?" Kairi dared, gulping as the words left her mouth.

Riku finally turned to her with his full attention, oceanic-eyes slightly widened. They turned to the side shortly after. "Well, he's my…best friend after all…and so are you."

"Riku, I'm serious! I know you know what I mean. Like…as in," She paused, trying to find the right word for it. "…Like as…more than a friend…more than best friend. Gah! You know what I mean!"

In that instant, Kairi swore she saw the color of Riku's face shift. But the boy turned his face completely away from her, whether in anger or embarrassment, she didn't know. At that, Kairi got up and stood tall, placing herself in front of him, with hands over her hips.

"I've been noticing you and Sora. I knew something was up. If that feeling you have for him is true, which I believe it is, then why do you avoid it? Are you trying to shut yourself out just to get Sora and I together? If that's the case then you should know that I'm not happy with that." There, Kairi had said it all, so much for keeping things pent up in her head.

Riku frowned even deeper and when Kairi sensed that the boy was about to protest again, she cut in, "Seeing you like this, it hurts! Not only me, but Sora too." At that, she saw the shocked eyes of her friend. Somehow Riku still remained quiet. "Riku!"

Another long silence ensued and…

"I don't deserve him," The silver-haired boy trailed off finally.

"What?" The girl asked again, although she by all means heard the words.

Riku searched her face. "After what I've done to him, and to all of us. I can't….Sora and you still take me as your best friend. That's a lot more than I had expected or deserved. What more can I ask for?"

The girl's jaw dropped slightly as she let herself do the one thing she'd wanted to do all along: smack the silver-headed kid for once. A hard one too she might add.

Riku, jolted viciously by the hit on his head, peered up unbelievingly at the redhead. "Wha….Kairi?"

"You goof!! So you haven't realized it have you!? Things like that aren't left hanging in our hearts! Sora and I never thought of you in any other way after what happened." Kairi's word became softer, "I thought you knew, but you obviously _don't."_

The boy turned away, gazing off to the side once again.

Upon Riku's reaction, Kairi flopped back down to the seat beside him, stretching out her legs. "If I'm not mistaken, it seemed like you guys were competing with each other for my attention a year ago." She felt Riku's eyes turn back to her with consideration as she kept on, "I didn't realize it then, but I understand now. Sora might have liked me back then, but now I'm not sure at all." She turned and met Riku's thoughtful eyes. "As for you, I know it. You never liked me that way as everybody misunderstood, including Sora. As for why, you should know that yourself."

Clasping his hands together, Riku suddenly became highly interested with the ground.

"Sora! Watch out!!" Came someone's yelling with the sound of the ball hitting shortly after.

Kairi's and Riku's head jolted up and looked over to the court. They saw their best friend laid flatly in the middle of the court, a ball skidding about. Riku sprang to his feet, making his way towards his friend and Kairi followed suit.

Everyone ran in to check on Sora's condition.

"What happen?" Riku demanded answer.

"Sora zoned out for a few moments ago and didn't see the ball coming." Wakka explained with a worry frown as he studied Sora's condition.

As Riku knelt down beside the boy's prone form, the brunet's eyes suddenly snapped open. He jolted upright, eyes rolling around, obviously blurred. He lifted up his right hand into the air and announced, "I'm all right! I'm not hurt."

Wakka and Riku helped him up. Wakka tried letting Sora go first, and the boy staggered to the side. Riku, let himself be leaned on for a support.

"Whoa, whoa! You're still dizzy, ya?" The Blitzball player exclaimed.

"Sora, you can't just zone out while you're in the middle of the game," Tidus insisted.

With that said, Sora's eyes shifted to Riku and Kairi.

The girl immediately understood. Sora must have seen her and Riku deep in their burning conversation, so that caught him off guard. She put in, "Let's call it a game then. Riku, why don't you take him home?" She urged the two boys to walk off the court, waving everyone goodbyes.

Oceanic eyes went a little wide again, and it wouldn't be the last time today. He couldn't quite catch why Kairi was so insistent. Why put everything up on him now? He urged out, "But the shift-"

"I'll cover that for you two. Now Sora, you want to go home now?" Kairi asked as she stepped in front of Sora, asking intently.

Sora nodded dazedly, like a boy to a mother.

"You want Riku to get you home?" Kairi asked again.

Sora spared a brief glances at Riku and nodded to Kairi.

Riku could only stood there as an extra, frowning.

Kairi urged the two to walk back to Sora's homeroom with her

When they got there, she and Riku waited in front of the room. The girl, seeing her last opportunity to say things to Riku alone, let it all out.

"Riku, I'll make this short." She said as she eyed Sora who packed his stuff leniently (but the boy still looked over to his friends from time to time). "I liked Sora, I still do." With a short pause, catching the change in Riku's expression, she continued. "Just do things accordingly to your heart, Riku. Don't shut it out. I've followed my heart. You should start following yours as well."

The silver-haired boy turned to look at Sora, who started rubbing the back of his head, probably wondering where his stuff might be. It made Riku smile and he turned back to Kairi. "You think…I can really do that?"

"Of course you can!" Kairi shouted exasperatedly, while keeping her voice just between the two of them. Her hands were thrown upward, adding to her emotion. Riku wondered if she was going to smack him again.

They noticed Sora coming up. Kairi blinked as Sora narrowed his eyes with curiosity. She realized that the boy must have suspected it; she quickly brushed it off by urging them to get going. The two boys thanked her and left.

Kairi could only smile sadly while seeing them off together.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Riku had been giving some serious thought to what Kairi had said to him as he walked alongside Sora towards their home.

Kairi told him to just follow his heart. Riku knew exactly what he wanted._ 'But could I really do it? Would it be the right thing to do?' _he wondered. Both of them had always been bipolar opposites. What had happened proved that they were like light and dark. Riku knew definitively that he was darkness, and he sure didn't want to pull Sora into it with him.

"Riku?" The boy's small hand tugged on his sleeve.

"Hmm? Yeah?" replied Riku.

"What are you thinking about?" asked the boy, unendingly curious.

"Nothing." A lie.

The small boy rolled his eyes. "Hmm…so what are you talking with Kairi? Why am I not a part of it?"

Riku looked at the brunette skeptically. Normally Sora didn't pry into conversations that weren't initially shared with him, but if he was worried, he would. _'So Sora was anxious about my talking to Kairi alone?'_ "Nothing." Another lie.

That made Sora pout, hard, and accompany with a whiny sound in his throat.

'Okay, I need to get him out of his curiosity.' "Uh…" Riku's eyes pointedly avoided the blue ones. "Thinking about you…taking me for some ice cream."

Blue eyes brightened as Sora nodded enthusiastically. "Sure! I was wondering when you were gonna ask."

The silver-haired boy almost smirked twistedly. It was a good thing Sora was just so naïve; it had saved him countless times. Sora just never really gave a thought into it. _Or did he?_

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

They spent a good afternoon on ice-cream at the nearby cafe, catching up where they had left off. From things at home to school and everything else beside, they talked.

As night fell, Riku realized that it was about time they go home. They left the café and took in the dark surrounding them with the street lights illuminating the way.

Destiny Island wasn't a crowded world. At night when there was no one, literally no one, on the streets. In the places of the shadows in the dark alleys and pathways where no one bothered to put street lights or signs, it would be completely dark. Only one good comfortable thing was that thugs and bad guys that wounded the worlds were seen in such area, or anywhere in Destiny Islands for that matter.

The two boys started to head their ways to their homes, until they reached a spot where they should separate. Sora blinked at the pathway to Riku's house, and looked up at the tall pole of street lamp which was the only source of light provided in the area, flickering. He predicted that it would soon go off.

_Flick._

And the light suddenly went off.

"Broken lights, eh?" Sora commented, gazing ahead the pathway where Riku's house should have been.

"Hmm," Riku replied uninterested with the obvious. He stood there in silence, back turned to his friend.

Out of nowhere, Sora suddenly inquired. "Riku, you remember the first time we met?"

Riku was quiet for a moment and nodded. "Yeah…"

It had been nine years ago, Riku was seven while Sora was six.

X

_If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark_

X

-- Along the path to his house where coconut trees lined the trail much more than the street lights a silver-haired boy walked home after the first day of school. As he reached a certain crossroad near his house, he noticed a small figure. Another boy was there, walking around in the boundary where only the source of light was provided.

The silver-haired boy didn't give a thought to that, thinking it was just another boy going home. But as he progressed on, he realized that the other boy, a brunet, was staring off into the dim space ahead of him. Then the brunet shook his head and started pacing about the lighted area nervously again. That was when the silver-haired one noticed that the street light on the brunet's path had gone off. He decided to turn his back on his way towards his home and advanced towards the brunet.

"What's wrong?" he asked the boy, already guessing the answer. People told him he was smart, and he was after all.

The other looked up, and the silver-haired one realized the boy's sky blue eyes were quivering. Most likely they resulted from fear, but they turned relieved upon seeing another's presence. The brunet then replied with a friendly greet, "Hi there."

The silver-haired waited while the other boy fidgeted nervously and spoke again.

"Mom's waiting for me to come home. But the street light to my house is broken. It's so dark," the boy said.

The silver-haired boy eyed him up and down as well as the pathway. It was dark, but anyone could still walk without stumbling into anything. The path that lay ahead was at least perfectly clear enough just to walk back home.

Children were bound to be afraid of the dark, but then again, so was everyone else, even adults. Sometimes Riku wondered why. He wasn't afraid of the dark, and he didn't understand how it could be so scary. To him, it was just a black color.

"Afraid of the dark?" That was the first time Riku ever felt himself smirking. And when the brunet huffed in response, he felt his smirk even grow even wider.

"Am not," the brunet protested.

"Yes, you are," the silver-haired one countered, making the other boy huffed again, looking a little angrier.

The silver-haired stepped ahead of the other boy then turned and motioned the boy to follow with the jerk of his head in the proper direction. "Come on."

The blue-eyed boy blinked a few times, then his angry frown transformed into a wide smile. And Riku was surprised that someone could smile just that big, after looking so nervous and angry only a moment ago.

"Your house is this way too?" The boy asked happily, totally forgetting his earlier indignation.

He took one step closer but then paused when Riku revealed. "No. My house is that way." He pointed in the other direction behind the smaller boy.

"Oh." The brunet's shoulder drooped. "Just that I thought I'd have a friend to walk home with."

"I'll walk you home." The silver-haired shrugged nonchalantly as he extended his hand to the boy. "Just come already."

The brunet looked at the other boy for a while before he scurried into the dark and took his hand.

"Just a moment ago, I thought you wouldn't come." The silver-haired boy started walking. What makes it so different if I'm walking with you? It's not that dark, see? The lights are ahead." He pointed to the not-so-far off path with his free hand.

"It makes a lot of difference! It's like the night and day, being alone or with a friend is so different!" The brunette exclaimed. "If you hadn't come, I still wouldn't know what to do."

"Hnn?" The taller boy made a sound, half questioning, and half replying to the boy.

"I'm Sora," the smaller boy introduced and asked, "What's your name?"

"Riku," came his short reply.

Sora promptly began to chat animatedly. They found out that they were actually in the same school, same grade, but different class. Riku couldn't help but smile seeing the other boy jump around for that, stating that he had friend to walk home with every day now.

They reached Sora's house and Riku let go of the smaller boy's hand. The brunette, at his doorstep, raised his hand where Riku had let go and looked at it. "Thanks, Riku. You helped a lot."

"You know, normally I don't hold anyone's hand, but I've seen you're shaking in the dark. I can call it an exception then." That was the second time that Sora saw Riku smirk, and the second time Riku felt himself do it. Sora didn't have any idea that he would soon have much more of that.

"I know." The brunet grinned, half in slight embarrassment. "I just don't like the dark."

"But you have to live with it. Next time you have to learn to walk in the dark on your own." The taller boy advised as he folded his arms over chest.

Sora made a face and pouted. "We just met, and you're lecturing me already? Geez." Then he decided to change subject, to get himself out of the situation of being the one who was taught. "I hope they change that light by tomorrow. Hey, wanna come in? Mom already made dinner."

The other boy shook his head slowly, and turned to step off. "No, thanks. My mother's waiting too."

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then." Then Sora realized something. "Wait, but you're going to walk back the way we came? It's dark." He then experienced another of Riku's smirk, which he thought it was developing into a trademark.

"I'm not afraid. See you tomorrow, Sora," with that, he waved and departed into the shadows.

Sora watched as Riku proceeded his way to where they had come, and wondered about the oddities of this new friend.

And so they met again at school, became best friends although they were in different classes. The next year rolled around and they got lucky by winding up in the same class. The two were so happy. That is, until 7th grade, when Riku got a ranking score, and his parents urged him to jump directly to 9th grade. That was one of the hardest choices in Riku's life; he could only look back over his shoulder, seeing both Sora and Kairi in mixture of sadness. And Sora had whined a lot. Riku jumped anyway, trying to think maturely, and he became their senior. --

X

"Ha ha, that's how we met." Sora laughed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck, recalling the slight feeling of embarrassment. "And the next day, they still hadn't fixed the light. I was afraid and you were there. You walked with me, but didn't hold my hand that time, saying I shouldn't be afraid. I walked, not really scared; you were there until we reached our house." The brunette smiled, remembering that.

"And the third day, they still hadn't fixed the light. I figured it should be the time that you learned that there was nothing to be scared of, so I let you walk off on your own and I only watched from the crossroad," Riku paused and chuckled. "You ran like hell, but managed to make it."

"Hmm…" Sora made a sound that he acknowledged it, thinking back again.

X

-- Riku as a kid always did things on his own. He was a smart one, compared to Sora. Most kids would come to him when they needed advice, but when the time came that he didn't understand something or when he needed help, he never asked someone. Riku always tried to do things on his own.

Once, Sora had approached him and asked, "Why don't you tell me, maybe I can help."

Riku didn't look at him, only concentrated on the book at his desk. "It's ok, I can do it."

"Why do you have to do things on your own when you have friends?"

The silver-haired boy looked up at the standing brunet who had his hands clasped behind his back.

"Am I not your friend?" Sora's head tilted slightly, a hint of anxiousness written across his face.

When the moment of silent passed as Sora thought Riku's answer would never come, the older boy suddenly got up from his chair and stood facing Sora. They were at the same height at that point.

Riku smirked, but he was smiling inside.

"Because I'm not a total sap like you." --

X

Sora hadn't really understood that then, but he understood it now.

"I did learn after all. I don't need you to hold my hand in the dark anymore." As soon as the words left his mouth, Sora found it awkward and he had to steal a quick glance at his friend.

"Don't need me anymore, eh?" The silver-haired boy turned to the side, long hair obscuring his face.

"Riku." Sora took a step closer. "Riku, you know I didn't mean that, don't you?" Upon seeing Riku quiet and not turn to him, Sora reached to grab his shirt. He tried to get his friend to turn, but Riku wouldn't budge. "Riku, are you mad at me?"

That was when Riku turned to look down at him, eyes observing the smaller boy.

Shortly after, the taller boy burst out with chuckle, making Sora stand dumbstruck as the boy let go of Riku's shirt.

The brunet frowned before yelling. "You tricked me! You!" Now Sora was the one who was fuming. "That's not funny!"

Riku tried to hold back his laughter, and patted the brunet on the head. "Your face is funny."

"Is not, I'm serious." The boy glared up, feeling highly offended.

Taken aback slightly, Riku cleared his throat. "You're too serious about this. Haven't we gone through this already? Back then when I thought that you didn't care, and became your enemy, that was the biggest mistake of my life. I was so darn wrong, Sora. I won't let history repeat itself. Things changed, I changed. But…maybe together we can be the same, right?" Riku extended his hands imploringly, emphasizing.

The latter statement brought a smile to Sora's face. Then his blue eyes shifted to the broken street light, his mind went back to the situation at hand. "Well, seems that things are turning the other way around this time. How about I hold your hand and walk you home?"

Oceanic eyes went wide in the dark. Riku tried to catch any hints that Sora might have been setting loose, but there were none. Sora was just being himself, offering innocuous help; completely unaware that his statement could have been misleading.

Not getting an answer from Riku, the smaller boy rushed ahead in front of him. He stood half in the dark with proffered hand. "Come on, Riku!"

Taking a step up ahead, the taller boy tentatively reached for the smaller one, and took it in his own. He was surprised that Sora didn't protest about him taking Sora's hand instead of Sora taking his. The brunet seemed completely at ease with it as he started to hum a jaunty melody.

And they walked together in the dark.

When they reached Riku's house, he thought it was time to let go of Sora's hand, but he felt that newfound sensation welling up inside of him again and didn't ever want to let go. It brought both of his hands to reach for Sora's shoulders, and when they did, the taller boy pulled the smaller one into his arms. Riku nuzzled his chin on Sora's shoulder and he felt Sora freeze briefly. But the smaller boy slowly relaxed into it and his small hands tentatively searched to cling onto Riku's shirt at his back.

Riku realized his best friend didn't hold him back after all.

Unseen by Sora, Riku's oceanic eyes darkened by the second, as he let go of the smaller boy. Somehow, he needed to know if Sora felt the same way. He dared to search Sora's face, and there was not a hint there. Not a trace of like or dislike, just a plain Sora's naïve face.

The taller boy rolled his eyes to the side, sighing inwardly. He could only think that this was such typical Sora behavior, so totally clueless and so slow in this kind of thing. There was no way Sora would get it if he didn't come out and shout in Sora's face how he felt. Or perhaps putting words into action would be a better communication.

He couldn't bring himself to do just that unfortunately. It could destroy the friendship that had already been destroyed and restored once. Riku wouldn't do anything to lose that most important thing of his again. He didn't want to risk ruining it, which is certainly what would happen if Sora didn't feel the same way.

All of what he had known before told him that Sora didn't feel the same way. Sora had Kairi. Well, Kairi told him to follow his heart, did she? He just had and there was no regret, just a big gaping hole in his chest that seemed to grow every time he didn't see his own desire reflected in Sora's eyes.

The silver-haired boy pulled away and reached for the door knob as he entered the house. "Thanks for the walk, see you tomorrow then." Riku forced a smile to his face when Sora waved at him and closed the door.

Sora's feet were nailed to the spot for a good minute. His blue eyes lingered at the space Riku had just disappeared into. He knew that his immobility was the result of Riku's earlier embrace. Sora had always been familiar with Riku's one arm draping around his neck, and a fist digging into his head.

Riku, holding him for no clear reason…was unexpected.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

How Riku and Sora met was really something to ponder about, don't you think? I really hope someday SquareEnix would come up with that. Meanwhile, I got to write with my own style.

How do you they met?


	7. Ch 5 In Denial

Hopefully, I'll be doing some illustration for this fanfic soon. As of now, I've posted some KH fanarts on DA. You can check it out via the homepage link on my profile page.

**Chapter 5 In Denial**

Revised 04/10/08

The next day had turned out to be a very interesting one for Riku.

At the break time, Riku was in his room, preparing for the next class, when Selphie suddenly rushed in, and stopped panting at his desk.

Riku offered her a smile and asked, "Selphie? What's wrong?"

Selphie took a swallow to clear her dried throat and spoke urgently, "Riku! Sora's in trouble! The Ota Seniors called him off and Sora went with them!" Her quirky voice and the subject she spoke of were enough to pull the students around to spare a glance at her, but she couldn't care less. "Sora told me not to tell anyone, he looked so confident and…"

Riku remembered Selphie telling him about the Ota Seniors, the three senior guys that had been known as the bullies of the school since half a year ago. They had somehow dropped their level of bullying lately when Sora came around, since the brunet practically stepped in and fended for the victims himself. And now they were going to get Sora for good. The silver-haired boy was sure of it.

Riku smirked, closing his eyes. "Those three aren't a match for Sora, you have nothing to worry about. He'll take care things, Selphie. You know Sora always wins."

Selphie quickly shook her head. "No! You know there are 3 big bullies! And they called Sora to the back of the school! Who knows if they have more people there? What if there's a trap!?"

Riku was as calm as could be, knowing all too well that there wouldn't be an equal match for Sora here on this island. Given the countless dangers and all the heartless and monsters he had overcome out on other worlds, this was nothing. Still, dear Selphie was so worried. And Riku was well aware of the reason that Selphie ran straight to him, and not to a teacher. The girl always said so herself that if the two of them were together, they were unbeatable. Sap, but true.

"At the back of the school, you said?" The boy stood up from his seat.

Selphie nodded and Riku patted her brown hair.

"Don't worry, I'll get him, okay?" With that, he rushed off.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The boy ran down the hallway and made it to the back of the school. The area led to a small garden, facing the sea. Riku opened the door to the expanse, and made it in time to see his friend there. Sora stood facing the other three. The biggest guy, Ota-Sempai was in front, while his two faithful followers were at the back. Both sides were too caught up with themselves to notice the third party's presence behind the neatly cut bush.

Riku decided to stay put, seeing no additional followers around. He often thought that Selphie worried too much. Sora would be fine. He could take care of himself. But Riku stayed put, just in case.

"So…what's with calling me out here?" Sora asked easily and almost playfully. "Want a fight or something, haven't had enough?"

Inside, Riku disapproved of how Sora could be so overconfident in a fight. Sure, Sora was strong, but it didn't mean he needed to throw himself into unnecessary fights like this, especially on the island. The last thing they needed was trouble. But then again, this was because Sora had stood up for the students that had been bullied. The boy seemed to have undying obsession for helping people out, and he didn't mind getting into trouble himself if it meant someone else was saved.

The thought irked Riku. He didn't want Sora in trouble.

He watched as the Ota-Sempai remained quiet for a long while, which caused Sora to frown.

"Hey guys, I don't have all day here," Sora stated.

That was when Riku noticed the change in Ota's face. Normally, Ota's face was square, with thin eyes, huge nose and mouth, and with overall dark skin. The man looked scary, to say the least, for other normal students. But now his face was distorted, mostly on the part of his huge lips; Riku made out that the guy was trying hard to say something. This guy was so deep in anger and frustration it made Riku very nervous for Sora. And Sora standing there lazily and yawning, eyes closed, and letting down his guard wasn't helping.

"…So…Sora. You…you have disgraced my honor of being a senior. I…I…" The deep, surrounding voice was spoken through gritted teeth, Riku could tell.

"Yeah, yeah." Sora waved off the other's words, completely unconcerned. "That's because you disgraced others first."

The Ota guy's fists tightened into balls as he motioned back to his other two companions. "Guys, ready?" The other two nodded.

Sora dropped into a fighting stance immediately, as did the hidden Riku who was ready to charge in if need be.

Both boys hadn't really prepared for what was really coming though. For when things were about to happen, both boys were suddenly dazed. The words that the three bullies suddenly spoke didn't register in their ears.

Sora's eyes went wide and he jumped back a little, seeing all the three guys at their knees in front of him. "Wha? What did you just say?"

"Guys, he can't hear! Make it louder!" The Ota guy looked behind left and right at his companions before they banged their heads to their hands which were prone on the ground. "WE SAID WE'RE SORRY!! FOR ALL THE THINGS WE'VE DONE!!" The Ota guy snapped his head up, and looked at Sora. "We just realized when you came that what we've done is WRONG!! Now we know how it feels to be beaten and that SUCKS!!"

They were bowing to Sora and asking for forgiveness. Riku understood the situation now. He turned himself around, sitting behind the thicket of leaves and branches. He didn't need to watch for signs of danger to his friend anymore. He instead, tried to hold down his chuckle, finding the whole thing highly amusing.

Sora, to whom the words had just sunk in, took one step forward. "Hey, that's…okay. It's good that you guys realized it. You guys weren't that bad, you know? It's just that you pushed people around." His voice took on a less stern tone as he spoke.

"We did it because…" The Ota guy trailed off with a shaking voice, obviously saddened by the revelation he was about to make. "I'm ugly…no one would be friends with me except these two." He motioned to his two companions who looked equally sad. "And no girls would spare me a glance, I'm ugly!!"

Riku's eyes slid half-closed, bored at how things got so comical.

"You're not ugly, although your face just umm…scary. But I don't see a problem with that. You can have a big heart and people will like you! You can change. Come on, get up," came the soothing voice of Sora as he offered a hand to them.

'_So Sora…'_ Riku thought with a smile, looking up at the sky.

"We won't get up until you forgive us, Sora-sama!" The Ota guy said.

"Okay, I forgive you." Sora scratched his cheek with one finger. "Don't call me sama, will you?"

"Uh…sure." The Ota guy finally got up, his form towering over the much smaller Sora. "There's still one thing that I need to tell you though."

They went quiet for while and Riku had to turn back and peek through the thicket, wondering why it wasn't over yet.

"I LIKE YOU, SORA!!" That was loud and clear, coming from Ota.

"Wha?" Sora took two steps backward. "What!?"

Meanwhile, Riku on the other side, took a slower rate for the words to sink in this time.

The big guy had the red all over his dark face. "You didn't hear it!? Okay! I'll say it again! I-"

"No, no, no!! You don't need to say it! I heard it!" Sora quickly waved him off, feeling somewhat threaten to hear it again. He scratched his cheek with his finger again, nervously. "Okay, that's unexpected but better like than hate…" The brunet grinned sheepishly, eyes shifting to the side.

One of Ota's friends, a tall and skinny one shot up from behind, just beside the left Ota. He waved his hand from side to side, and said, "No, no, no. What our boss meant is he likes you in such a way..."

Then the other one, short and fat, shot up from the right side of Ota. He stated, "Our boss thinks little Sora is…cute."

By now, Sora had taken a few more steps backward as Ota's his eyes glazed, staring at the brunet.

Sora felt threaten more than ever, suddenly spun around and ran for his dear life with a "GAAAHHHHH!!"

Despite how much closer the Ota guy was to Sora and how far Riku was in comparison, the silver-haired boy still made it in time to jump out of his hiding spot and practically kick the Ota guy in the face before the guy could land his hands on Sora.

Sora, the short-time victim, turned as he heard the yelp and the loud thud of Ota's form hitting the ground solidly. His eyes landed on his best friend's back. "Riku!" He exclaimed, "how did you-"

"Why did you have to do that? Who are you anyway!?" Ota's two friends rushed to support Ota up, yelling at Riku.

Riku glared down at the two crouching and one prone form. He didn't mean to do that to the elder, he really didn't want any trouble to come out of it, but his body had moved on its own. Okay, maybe a part of it was from his own will, because some other guy was about to glomp Sora, and he sure wouldn't allow that.

He ignored the seniors and turned to look at Sora over his shoulder. "You all right? Sora?"

The other boy nodded dumbly. "Why are you here?"

"Selphie told me," Riku replied neutrally.

"When did you-" The smaller boy asked again.

"Since the beginning." Riku suddenly smirked.

"So you heard-" Sora's voice became wary and nervous.

"I heard it all." Riku's smirk grew wider.

Sora's shoulders dropped, feeling somewhat humiliated that his best friend could tease him forever about this. His temporary sulky state was interrupted by a yell.

"Hey, you guys are totally ignoring us here!" The short and fat guy pointed out the obvious, but he shut himself when a hand belonging to his so-called boss was raised, motioning him to stop.

"It's okay, that's how they always are when they're together." Ota finally pushed himself up from the ground, clutching at his face.

One of Riku's eyebrows quirked upward, suspecting the meaning behind those words.

When Ota took a step closer, Riku unconsciously pushed Sora who was behind him with his shoulder, forcing the smaller boy to stay behind his back. Riku was literally between the big guy and his best friend, keeping his glare on the senior.

Ota looked down at him as if observing. He let his hand fell down from his face, revealing some a dark bruise forming caused by Riku's shoe. "So protective of Sora, aren't you? Riku. I've always seen that from afar."

Sora blinked at that while Riku's eyes narrowed. "That's because your heavy weight was going to crush Sora's small bones."

"Hah? Hey! I'm not small!" Sora retorted, hitting his friend's back with a knuckle, feeling offend. Then he paused as he could barely make out the line of Riku's expression. Riku looked quite stern, almost to the point of angry. And Sora couldn't quite understand why. If Riku was watching the whole thing from the beginning, he should have known that the Ota didn't really mean any harm to him. He put his hands on his friend's shoulder, trying to ease his friend's stiffness. "Riku. It's okay. He's not going to hurt me or you."

"Little Sora doesn't follow up here, does he?" One of the Ota's friends, the short and fat one asked to the tall and skinny one. They were shushed when Ota motioned them to.

'_Doesn't get what?' _Curiosity filled the blue-eyed boy. But seeing how tense things were, he decided to stop the two before they could involve themselves in another possible ruckus. He took a step to get passed Riku's back and yelped in surprise when he was shoved back by Riku's hand. Then Sora found himself back in his initial position once again. Sora was suddenly frustrated by his friend's behavior that he couldn't understand. "Riku! He's not going to hurt anyone!"

Riku's eyebrow twitched. His silver head snapped back to the boy. "You understand nothing! So shut up, little dolt!"

"Wha-?" That was by far the third _wha- _for Sora that day, plus it was not the first nor the last time of feeling offended. "So what is it that I don't understand? Why don't you enlighten me!? You smart-ass! Come on! Tell me!"

The taller boy faltered before he glared off to the side.

Sora only frowned, but waited.

Somewhere, came a sound of throat clearing. And the two boys turned their attention to the three guys right in front of them, who were completely ignored earlier for a second time.

"You boys will just ignore us forever anyway so…we've already said things we should say. So we better leave you two alone." Ota turned his eyes on Sora. "And from now on, we'll be different."

Sora looked up at them for a while and nodded with a boyish smile. "Good to hear that."

Ota's eyes traveled back to Riku, smiling at him for the first time. It only resulted in Riku's blink of surprise. "I already know about you, so I'm not going to get passed the line." The Ota guy motioned as he poked the thin air, directing a finger at Riku's unseen line of boundary. The big guy laughed like a kid when Sora followed Ota's poking direction and studied Riku's shoe, not quite catching what they meant. "Sora's a little slow though, you should tell him."

Riku was caught off guard. Even the guy who was supposedly their rival knew it, and knew about him. However he smoothed his features into a calm one. The guy liked Sora, why wouldn't he know? Riku only remained quiet, watching the three guys head off.

"See you around!" Sora waved at them and they waved back.

Riku watched his friend and thought for a while before making a move. "Ota! I mean, Ota…-sempai." When the other turned, looking at him, Riku scratched the imaginary itch behind his neck. "Sorry, for the kick. Didn't mean to."

Ota only waved it off and smiled as he continued to the door. "No probs; maybe I deserved it too. I knew that you would do something like that when it came to Sora."

And they left, leaving the two boys alone now.

Sora clasped his hands behind his head and watched as Riku's form relaxed. "I don't understand why you have to be so mad, Riku. And what were you guys talking about me anyway?"

Just turning to face Sora, Riku dropped in squatting position. He clutched his face with two hands, wanting to scream out loud how much more stupid Sora could get. Sora came following and crouched down beside his friend, asking if something was wrong.

Riku slowly lifted his hands off of his face, eyes shifting to see Sora's concerned face. He wanted to tell Sora already like people had urged him to just tell. But how could he risk the friendship? This wasn't easy for him at all. Riku's gaze dropped as he mumbled, "It's nothing." Then he got up, changing the subject, "Selphie's worrying about you, we should go."

The other boy nodded, curiosity still hanging from his expression, but Riku had already made it to the door and Sora took off to follow his friend.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

It took so long for the laughter to die down this time.

When Sora and Riku came back, the break time was already over. So that meant that the two boys would be seeing their friends at lunch time, and it meant all of them would be there. Wakka, Tidus, Selphie, and Kairi had laughed out loud after Riku revealed the goings on between Sora and his admirer, to Sora's great chagrin.

Regardless, Sora had seen this coming. If Riku wasn't going to tell on his own, his friends would still know from Selphie that he had something to with Ota senior, and they would pester him about what had happened, and he would have to answer.

Grumbling, the brunet sat, his head hung low. He could only fix a glare at his food that sat on the table while his friends continued bubbling with their laughter.

"I can't believe it! Even the biggest bullies of school change for Sora!" Tidus exclaimed, tears of amusement stinging his eyes.

"But that's really great, ya?" Wakka joined in, doubled over in his own mirth.

"I never knew bullies could be so romantic, Sora." Selphie said dramatically, hands clasping in front of her in a wondering manner. "Say…" Selphie started, "I guess Ota-Sempai's not the first one, is he?"

Sora's head snapped up and he looked at Selphie. He was dumbstruck for a moment then he shook his head. "No no no, there's no one else. I'm not like Riku." Blue eyes rolled to the side where Riku was sitting. What he really wanted was to direct the subject to somewhere else, and have them focus anywhere but on his person.

Riku and Kairi exchanged glance and laughed again.

"Sora, you're not really getting it, are you? Girls and guys proposition you all the time, and you haven't realized it at all," Riku countered with the intention of mocking his friend, but as soon as the words rolled off his tongue, he realized he was contradicting himself…and Kairi. The redhead did spare him a glance for a moment, a silent tension between them. _'Right, you didn't notice Kairi…or me.'_

"Ha! What are you saying, Riku!? I don't get love letters and have girls giggling around like you." Sora said defiantly. "And at least, I didn't get love letters like you!"

Everyone looked at Riku at the same time, causing Riku to glare off to the side.

"Hmm, so in case everyone didn't know. Riku got lots of love letters! That's the real thing for a crush to do." Sora blurted all out in retaliation. He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled triumphantly.

"Oh? So that's why you taped the vent holes of your locker, huh?" Tidus smirked at his own revelation.

"See? You got more fans than me, so stop taunting me already!" Sora made a face at riku, but then he saw something in Riku's eyes which made him stop. Was it…_pain_? He wondered why his friend would feel hurt by just little mockery. It must be something else. What was it then?

"Sora, you really understand nothing. Riku gets love letters because he's quite stern and keeps his distance from people." Selphie cringed slightly, briefly landing her gaze on Riku for making such a comment in front of him, but Riku only shrugged. He wouldn't get mad at her regardless. "On the other hand, you, Sora," When she pointed to the brunet, the gesture caught his full attention. "People directly come up to you because you're more carefree and you open up to everyone. You think they only want to be friends with you, but they don't, Sora."

"Really?" Sora asked, obviously not believing her. He turned, confused, when everyone nodded in the same manner. "Wow, so I got fans too. I didn't know that." He scratched his head, looking down and blushing.

Riku and Kairi exchanged glance again, both see something in each other's eyes, and Selphie saw the two as well. The brown-haired girl sometimes got frustrated that things were going nowhere. Tired of having to put up with her sad friends, she decided to take a chance.

"Sora, I think it's time you realized that there's someone who's around you and has liked you, as more than a friend, for quite a while..." Selphie trailed off. She got surprised looks from a certain three people. "When you don't notice, you overlook them, and they hurt."

The brunet looked up thoughtfully. "Well, honestly I don't know who you mean. I don't…really care about that kind of relationship anyway. I'm happy with what I have now, the six of us."

"You're hurting them," Selphie repeatedly firmly.

Sora cringed at how serious Selphie had become.

"When people love someone, they want to know, Sora, whether you feel the same way or not, be it acceptance or rejection. Even when it hurts to know that the other doesn't feel the same way, they still need to know." Selphie tried not to glance in Kairi's or Riku's direction. "And some people just don't come out and say it, so you have to piece things together and figure it out."

Riku, having finished his meal some time ago, abruptly stood. He announced his leave in a curt voice, "I have to finish some stuff before the next class. Bye."

Sora turned to him and heard the voice of another chair scraping against the floor; he turned and saw that Kairi was leaving too. Unknown to him, Selphie glared heatedly at the two friends who started to pick up their paces out of the cafeteria. The girl felt like she needed to spell it out to Sora now that his two best friends had fallen for him. He needed to take some action. Things left hanging would only hurt the one who would inevitably be rejected. And Selphie sure didn't want either Kairi or Riku to feel worse in any way. Still, it wasn't her place to do more than hint and prod at Sora.

"Think about it Sora," Selphie stated as she looked at her watch. "I have to be on my way to the club, see you guys later then."

When Selphie left, Sora was left to sit and stare at Tidus and Wakka, who stared back at him, not knowing what to say about the earlier subject.

"Wanna play some ball?" Wakka asked, successfully changing the subject.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Riku, wait up!"

The said boy paused and looked back, seeing the redhead girl rushing up to him.

The said boy paused and looked back, seeing the redheaded girl rushing up to him.

"You don't…really have any stuff to finish, do you?" Kairi asked as she kept pace levelly with the taller boy.

The boy shook his head, glaring off in the distance. "Did you tell Selphie?" There was no anger in his voice, just a plain question.

"Selphie realized herself," Kairi answered, which earned a wide-eyed look from Riku. "She's good at this kind of stuff, you know."

"Figures." Oceanic eyes went back to their normal state. "That's a relief."

Kairi looked up at Riku intently. "Why, Riku? You haven't told Sora how you feel?"

The boy was quiet for a while, until they reached the school building, Riku picked one of the corners which wasn't crowded and led his friend there. He put his hand on the bar, built in to the wall and turned his full attention on Kairi.

"I can't." The boy rested his weight on the bar and looked off into a nearby window. "Sora and I have always been best friends. I can't risk losing that."

"I'm his best friend too, you know? And I'm willing to risk that for the sake of knowing," Kairi countered.

"Kairi." Riku turned back to her with a good amount of shock in his usually calm eyes. "You also know that you…are a girl, I'm _not_." He pressed his point, stressing the last words.

Riku's eyes traveled back to the window again and he leaned his head against the wall "A year ago, I…thought I did like you, which was why I tried to compete with Sora over you. It would've be easier if I had fallen for you instead of him."

"Riku, you know you never wanted that." Kairi's voice started to get edgy. "A year ago, when you and Sora thought you felt that way towards me? It could have only been hormones. Honestly, I thought it was more likely that you competed with Sora just to get his attention."

Riku's head, which rested against the wall didn't move, though his eyes abruptly shifted, as if something had just dawned on him. His eyes glanced to Kairi. "What was that?"

"You got lonely when I came. Sora spent some time with me instead of spending it all with you." Kairi took a step closer. "It had always been the two of you together before I came, right? I know you both didn't want me to feel left out, so we were always together. But sometimes…many times, I felt I couldn't keep up with you guys. There were things that were understood just between the two of you."

The boy kept himself quiet, while Kairi continued.

"Right now, you can still call your relationship one of best friends, but what I've seen in Sora's eyes and his behavior when he's with you is something else." A pained smile crossed Kairi's features. "Sora is obtuse about his own feelings. He might have liked me the most at some point, but not anymore. I've known it since the moment he refused to cross that small gap and come back home with me after closing Kingdom Hearts. Now why do you think that is, Riku?"

The boy remained quiet.

"Why? Sora has always followed his heart; he only does things the way he wants. Although sometimes it seemed selfish of him, like suddenly going off and taking a nap while you did all the work on the raft." Kairi's violet eyes slowly dropped to the ground. "What Sora did to get you back makes it obvious to me now that his most important person is not me. And if you're not getting of who it is, maybe you're just as dense as him, Riku."

Riku's eyes snapped a little at that, wondering if he was as Kairi said. But Sora hadn't showed any sign to him, save for the friendly worry which he probably had in store for everyone. There was nothing that could be called special. Of course, Sora was closer to him more than ever, but that was only the consequence of what they had been through together.

"Why…Kairi?" Riku finally lifted his head off the wall and turned to Kairi. "Why are you determined to get me and Sora together? You said you…liked him." His last words came out barely audible.

"Because…" Kairi trailed off, bringing her hands behind her back, fingers fidgeting. "…I think Sora might feel the same way towards you."

Riku stared off into the space for a while before Kairi's words dawned on him and his eyes widened.

"Sora…he's always slow, but I can tell that he does want to get closer to you." Kairi smiled sadly into space, not meeting Riku's eyes.

"How can you…tell?" Riku folded his arms over his chest, feeling very curious.

"I don't know. You can call it a girl's intuition. Sometimes girls are better at this kind of thing." The redhead stuck out her tongue playfully.

Riku didn't say anything to that, until Kairi took a step in front of him. She reached out and twined Riku's long silver locks between her fingers playfully. "The fact that you… Being a boy shouldn't stand in the way of you and him because it's not important. Believe me; even if things don't work out, if Sora doesn't feel the same way, your friendship won't change. Sora always feels happy when someone likes him anyway, whether it's a girl or a boy."

"Sora ran away from that Ota guy, he can't possibly like boys," Riku sighed.

"You said so yourself that the big guy would crush Sora's little bones." Kairi let out a chuckle, and Riku did the same. Somehow it has decreased the tension between them and the subject they were discussing. "Sora's just afraid, and certainly confused…and probably lost."

"Hmm…"

"Riku, you're my best friend too, if you two can get together and be happy, it'll be great," the girl concluded.

When Riku glanced at his friend, he was a bit shocked to see that Kairi was almost in tears, saying those things. It was clear that Kairi still liked Sora, more than anything. He reached and patted her head, trying to provide comfort in any way he could. He knew Kairi was a strong girl, but this was as hard for her as it was for him.

Kairi brought her hand up and grabbed Riku's at the hem of his shirt. Her head hung low and her shoulders shook.

Upon seeing the wave of sadness from his friend, Riku placed his other hand on her shoulder, drawing her closer. "Kairi." Before Riku could say anything more, he cut himself short when his line of vision happened to catch the subject of their conversation. And the subject was staring at both of them with wide eyes.

"Sora?"

With that said, Kairi jerked her head from Riku's hand and chest and spun around. She saw Sora standing at the far end of the building. Judging by the spot that Sora was in, which was visible to both of them, Sora could only have been there just a few moments.

The brunet looked somewhat startled. Then he broke into a silly grin as he waved unnaturally. "I'm sorry! I…don't mean to interrupt! Eh...I'll be going!" Then he left, as quickly as he'd come.

Riku didn't think anything of Sora leaving so suddenly, but Kairi knew otherwise.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Both Riku and Kairi went to their classes after the stressful talk. Riku, in his classroom, had spent most of their time staring off into space again. He couldn't bring himself to pay any attention to the lesson being given. He didn't even notice that the teacher and his fellow classmates had thrown him confused looks. Why on earth was the genius of the class stared off into nothingness like everything was meaningless?

One thing they didn't know about him was there was always too much of everything that running around in Riku's head.

After school, it was Kairi that wasn't there this time at the meeting spot where the three of them would walk back home together.

Riku was leaning against the wall. When Sora came up, surprised that Riku was back for the journey home together, Riku only explained the absence of the other one as: "Kairi joined the club with Selphie, so she won't be coming with us today."

It was like their duty to walk home together everyday. Kairi occasionally came and went with Selphie. Selphie was into the club right now while Tidus and Wakka usually got Blitzball games going. But most people in the school had always regarded the three of them as stuck together like glue since basically forever. It had started when they were young, and when people grow, they mostly keep to their own ways.

"Well, uh…" Sora started, and Riku wondered what had caused the boy's uncertainty. "Is she okay?"

Arching his eyebrow, the taller boy supposed that Kairi was right. She had told him that Sora would have felt something when he saw them together, but Riku couldn't lay a finger on it. Even if Sora was as easy to read as open book, Riku still couldn't make out if Sora himself was confused about it. It just didn't come up on his face.

"She's fine," Riku replied shortly. Earlier, Kairi had told him that an explanation was needed if Sora brought it up, but she hadn't been able to find a way to say it. Were they supposed to explain that the two best friends were falling for him, and Sora was just a goof? Riku decided just to brush it off.

Sora only nodded and they headed out of school in silence.

As they walked half way to their homes, Sora started. "Riku."

"Hmm?" Riku didn't turn to him, instead keeping his eyes on the street.

"Can I ask you something?" The smaller boy whispered.

Riku almost smirked. "Since when did you learn to ask for permission?" But when his gaze landed on Sora, he saw that his friend was far from being playful. So he urged, "Go on, hopefully I can give you a good answer."

"About today's lunch, what Selphie said…that when I don't notice someone caring about me, they hurt." Sora snapped his eyes up at Riku. "Do you think it's true?"

'_Great, now he's asking me himself.' _The taller boy closed his eyes, brows slightly knitted at how things were turning around and around in endless cycle. He wondered if this was his chance to confess to the boy, but hell, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He had only imagined breaking things slowly to Sora. "Yeah, they hurt."

As Riku had been expecting, Sora's face has set into a worried expression right away.

"Riku, I don't know what to do. I don't know who likes me. I mean, in your case, you can't possibly answer back all the girls that send you love letters, right? What can you do about it?" Sora asked, wasn't sure whether it was right to bring Riku's case back up.

"I didn't do anything about it," Riku answered easily.

"Will they be hurt that you didn't answer them?" Sora asked out of pure curiosity, then realized. "Wah! I didn't mean to…uh, make you feel bad! It's just that I don't know anything!" He was quickly waved off.

"My answer, Sora. They won't get hurt that much, or maybe not at all. I don't really see why they would like me when they barely know about me." The silver-haired boy explained. "I don't get those love-at-first-sight things anyway. You know some people like someone just because of their looks or physical appearances."

"So…you mean only people who are close to you are the one who truly care, and hurt when they go unnoticed?" The brunet comprehended.

"Uh…yeah." Riku hesitated slightly, aware that he had given a hint of who was falling for Sora. When he continued walking a few more steps ahead, he felt the absence of the other person beside him. Turning back, he saw Sora had stood still, eyes on the ground.

"Sora?" Riku called. _'Oh no…did he figure it out?'_

Sora looked up slowly, blue eyes clouded. "Riku"

"…Yeah?" Riku's voice was unsure.

"Uh…" Sora was unsure as well, but then his eyes brightened up a little. "In that case, I don't have to worry, right? I mean, no one is ever closer to me than you and Kairi. So those people that Selphie were talking about wouldn't hurt that much, right?"

Riku didn't know whether he should be glad or sad. It somehow felt like the latter. Sora just wouldn't get it unless someone spelled it out for him. The silver-haired boy once again found his head dropped into his hands in exasperation.

"Riku?"

"Unn…yeahhh." His voice came out tiredly and sounded more like boredom, but nonetheless, it had looked like he agreed with Sora.

Sora finally let a smile of relief cross his face. Somehow that smile drove Riku off the edge. He couldn't stand seeing that kind of smile as a result of Sora's clueless-ness. He had no idea how long he could control himself not to wipe that smile of the boy's face by _doing_ something rash so that Sora would finally understand already. Still, he couldn't afford to do it. If Kairi hadn't made her first move, he wouldn't be there to sidetrack Sora anywhere. Just to keep his emotions at bay, he decided to walk away.

He heard a small gasp from the smaller boy, followed by quick paces behind him.

"Riku!" Sora huffed, confused by Riku's sudden hastiness. As he caught up with his friend, he took one good look, and made out the edginess on Riku's features. Sora didn't understand why was his friend looked so…angry?

Sensing worry in his friend's expression, his own descended into the same, and Riku stopped. He berated himself for it, knowing he couldn't blame it solely on the boy's cluelessness. And Sora would just worry himself to death if he acted out of place. He turned sideways for a moment to gather himself together, while the younger boy's voice kept ringing in his ears. That was when Riku realized just how much Sora was addicted to calling out his name since they'd reunited.

"Riku!"

Riku's eyes softened, his earlier frustration gone. For now he was afraid that Sora's little head wouldn't be able to handle the revelation, if he were to come out and admit his feelings. He couldn't risk breaking the person who he cared the most.

Sora then felt a warm hand ruffling his hair, making it an even bigger mess than usual. He turned his face up, confused eyes meeting calm ones.

"Stop thinking or your head will burst; it's too much for your little brain." As expected, Sora's confused eyes shifted to glare at him, but Riku urged him to drop the subject. "Let's just go home."

Sora heaved a small sigh, and tried not to think much.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sora couldn't stop thinking about it; he just couldn't do as Riku had suggested. He had gone home after parting with Riku and spent a good time in his room pacing around restlessly. Sometimes he would jump on his bed, tugging his pillows, and then trying to get some sleep to stop his thoughts. But the thoughts and worries kept twisting in his head.

There was something up with Riku lately, and come to think of it, there was also something up with Kairi as well.

What had Riku and Kairi been talking about today, alone? Why had Kairi looked as if she was about to cry? And on the top of all that, they had been together. Sora wracked his brain to understand the strange thoughts and feelings that were racing around his mind. Was it just a childish jealousy? There had always been the three of them, and now his two friends were speeding on ahead together while he was left way behind. Or was it jealousy of being unable to be there with them as well as something else?

Sora rolled in his bed again, and didn't bother to stop when he was already on the edge. Down to the floor he fell. "Ouch!" He yelped and languidly got up, rubbing the soreness. Still, his mind just couldn't stop rambling.

He recalled how he had heard Riku and Kairi's classmates talk about them. "'Riku is cool and Kairi is so pretty. They are closest together in class. What else would you call them if not a couple?'"

Sora didn't realize that he was squishing the pillow that had somehow ended up in his arms.

He found that he couldn't really sit well with such rumor.

Things were changing and it was getting confusing. _Was he missing something?_ Leaving the poor pillow alone, his hands began to mess with his own hair instead. "Gah!" He felt uneasy…very very uneasy.

Sora was the type of person who, when troubled, didn't like to be alone. He would go to either Riku or Kairi. Clearly Riku wasn't an option this time since the subject of his unease and confusion was Riku himself. Okay, scratch that. It actually involved both of them, but Riku seemed to have another issue with Sora and he wanted to figure that out first.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The brunet paced about the coconut tree nearby, waiting for Kairi. The club that Kairi went with Selphie to usually ended at five, from what he'd known.

Time passed by unitl Sora finally spotted the redhead and curly brown-haired girls from afar. Sora stood up attentively, waiting for them. He watched as Kairi chatted cheerfully with Selphie and felt his heart lift up. No matter how slow he was, he still knew when his friend wasn't in a good shape. He'd sensed something wrong with Kairi some time ago, not long after they'd gotten back. No matter how cheerful Kairi always was, he'd always felt that his best friend wasn't as happy as she'd been a year ago.

Realization suddenly hit him. Was it the right thing to do to talk about Riku with Kairi? From the puzzle pieces that he'd managed to line up, he believed he already understood the overall issue about his feelings, especially towards Kairi. But there was a big hole that was missing, which it was regarding Riku.

As he hesitantly took a step, Selphie caught sight of him and called. "Sora!" She pointed in Sora's direction and Kairi's eyes followed and met Sora there.

The boy tentatively waved back and smiled crookedly until the two girls reached him.

"Why are you still here? Didn't you go back with Riku?" Kairi asked with a smile on her face; it was not a fake one, but best friends like Sora and Selphie could tell that it wasn't coming from her heart.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Sora smiled sheepishly and looked away. "Uh, well yes, but I came back…"

Both girls blinked, not really understanding at first. Then Selphie guessed that Sora must have something to talk to Kairi about. She suddenly announced her leave, bringing her hands up and barely covering her mouth with an 'oh' gesture. "I forgot something back at the school. Kairi, why don't you go home with Sora. I'll see you guys tomorrow!" The girl then hurriedly left.

Kairi could only gaze after her as Selphie left, but got the message from her friend that things needed to be talked about. When she turned back to Sora, she offered another cheerful grin, and this time it was almost  
real.

The boy simply returned the gesture, not really knowing what to say or do. He started to move towards the path and Kairi automatically followed alongside. Then his eyes took notice of the board that Kairi had been carrying. He pointed. "What's that?" he asked, in hopes of breaking the silence.

The girl's eyes dropped to the said object and her hand that held the board shifted up slightly. "Oh, this?" She looked up at him, seemingly happy, although only slightly. "A sketch board, I've been…drawing…some." She spoke as if she was unsure of things.

"You've been drawing?"

"Kind of…" She paused for a while and trailed off, looking at the horizon. "You know I used to draw a little… before. But I enjoyed it more after we all came together. I don't know why I've come to love it now. Maybe it's Namine?"

"It could be," Sora agreed.

"Yeah, I've been considering doing a children's illustration book, or something like that," Kairi revealed.

"Wow! That's great, Kairi!" Sora suddenly burst out, smiling widely like a kid. "I'd really like to see you do that."

Kairi laughed a little at his friend's sudden jovial mood.

"Well, can I see that?" Sora requested, motioning toward the sketch board in Kairi's hand. He was surprised when the girl looked unsure. Kairi and he had been best friends since they were young, and they always used to draw together, even more than with Riku, since the Riku wasn't really keen on drawing. It had been only Sora and Kairi that spent time drawing together on the sand or in the cave.

The girl finally handed her friend the board, thinking that it would be more awkward to not let a friend who'd been drawing with her since they were little not see her drawings now. Sora slowly took the board, looking for signs of disapproval on Kairi's face, but the girl only smiled, so he pressed the rim on the lower part of the board against his stomach and opened the cover.

The first drawing was unmistakably Destiny Islands, with lines of the coconut trees and one Paopu Tree in the middle of the gulf. Just then, Sora could see that a once childish sketch had now become a beautiful drawing, with more shades of color and details. He turned to Kairi and gave her a silent awed expression before going on to the next picture. Other pictures included more scenery of Destiny Islands.

Kairi blushed all the while that Sora spouted off his compliments.

Then Sora came to back half of the sketch book, which looked like more recent pictures. It held the image of the brunet, the silver-haired boy, and the redhead girl. Then an image of him, the duck, and the dog. He looked at the artist, but there were only silent questions and answers between them. Sora kept studying the next drawings, struck by the beauty in them. Everything that was left were things that he'd seen in other worlds, whether they be the images of Roxas and Namine, or the mysterious door that lead to Kingdom Hearts. Without a doubt, Kairi's sketch book held everything they had been through.

Sora felt Kairi fidget even more when he made it to the last page. At the last page before the paper went entirely blank contained a picture of a silver-haired boy and a brown-haired one. The picture showed the back of both boys sitting on the Paopu Tree, gazing off into the horizon.

He eyed Kairi and the girl smiled wryly. Sora could tell that Kairi's earlier uncertainty about letting him see her sketch book lay solely upon the last sketch. But why, Sora couldn't tell.

"Kairi, these are the great works. They really are." Sora grinned enthusiastically as he handed back her drawing board, but he paused, catching the look on the girl's face. "Why do you look so…down? I meant what I  
said."

The girl shook her head. "No no, it's not about the drawings. Thanks for the compliment, but you really are clueless. Maybe I shouldn't have worried about showing this to you." Her last statement came out as a whisper.

Sora heard it anyway and his smile dropped, a frown settling instead. "Riku…said the same thing." The boy trailed off, getting a wide-eyed look from the girl. "What do you mean? Is there something that I need to know?" When Kairi only kept quiet, something that Sora knew wasn't a typical behavior for her, he pressed on, "Sometimes, you and Riku are…weird." Sora said truthfully, looking away. "I know things might not be the same after what we've been through, but…"

The redhead girl caught a glimpse of grief on Sora's face, but she didn't know how much pain Sora was experiencing right now. Was it that he believed Riku had changed? Or that she had changed? The most important thing was that she didn't know if Sora knew about the feelings that she and Riku harbored for him. She sighed heavily, thinking it was time to clear things up.

"Sora, Riku didn't say anything to you at all?" she began.

"About what?"

'_So Riku didn't make a move after all. Stupid Riku,' _the girl thought. "So…what is it that you think Riku and I are being weird about?" She countered, deciding to let Sora's own questions lead them into the main subject of this.

"Well, both of you…seem so close, but far away at the same time. It's just when I think that I have you and Riku, then suddenly you and him just…walk off. Riku used to be that way, earlier, and now…you too. With Riku, I thought he was mad at me or something so he didn't stick around me too much, but later he would come up to me, and then you were the one who walked off instead. Why can't it be the three of us? I don't understand. I thought I was thinking too much. Tell me I was only thinking too much. Tell me that I misunderstood it all, Kairi," the brunet vented.

"That's what been bothering you so much that you came here?"

Sora nodded, half-truthfully since what he had said was the part of it, the whole rest of it was something else.

A long silence settled in before Sora broke it with the most shocking  
statement.

"You know, Kairi. I wouldn't mind…" Sora began.

Kairi waited for him to continue. Wait, was that a tremble she heard in his voice?

"-if you and Riku got together." There, Sora had said loud and clear despite the apprehension Kairi caught in his voice. When the girl gaped back at him, he smiled numbly. "Just don't shut me out when I come by…heh." His last syllable of laughter was forced.

There was a loud smack from Kairi slapping a palm to her forehead. It left Sora wondering if she had hurt herself, but before having a chance to ask, Kairi turned at him incredulously.

"I _can't_ believe it! Is _that _what you think!? Is that what you _really_ think!?"

Feeling suddenly small, Sora was wondered if he had gotten it all wrong. "Uh…yeah?" And knowing about himself not knowing anything, Sora tilted his head to the side, asking questions silently.

The boy's action impelled Kairi with the need to stretch the truth out. It would be best for all the three of them, but she had to make sure that Sora would understand, so she decided to draw something out of Sora first. "Why!?" she demanded.

With a tone he'd never received much from Kairi, it forced him to let things out in a voice higher and more panicked than his average. "Well, aren't you two close!? Don't you ever hear how much people talk about how you two look great together!? And…before…you two-" Here Sora agitated, his voice dropping to normal level. "-well, you know, you saw me…there."

So of all this time, Sora thought she and Riku had feelings for each other?

Her mouth hung open wordlessly for a good moment, then Kairi decided to use it to get Sora to understand. "Sora. Just because we spent our time in class together doesn't mean we feel that way about each other. And what you saw last time, me and Riku together, we were actually talking about you. Not about us."

"What about me?" The boy arched his brow.

"Don't you get it?"

"…"

Then Kairi stopped dead in her tracks, waiting for Sora to realize and turn back to her, and only then did she begin. "Sora, it could be difficult for you since you're so slow in this kind of thing. I have to spell it out for you since Riku is probably not going to do it anytime soon."

The boy looked at her attentively.

"You're the person I like." She said squarely, wondering how she could be so calm saying those words. She closed her eyes to collect herself, thinking it could be that she already has the answer to that. The girl opened her eyes again, facing the reality once more. "I like you more than anyone else, more than Riku, and that doesn't mean the feelings I have for you are some kind of best friend's feelings. You understand that, Sora? Of course, you don't!"

Feeling offended at the judgment, Sora was quick to justify himself. "I once thought that you did! Before you and Riku started acting weird around me!"

"Oh?" Violet eyes widened in sheer surprise as Kairi was startled. "So you…knew?"

The girl didn't leave his gaze until Sora looked away, unintentionally hurting her.

"…Kairi…I…." He trailed off, "….I like you too."

Her heart leapt, but still she couldn't bring herself to be happy, because she already knew what was to come. To prove her point which she guiltily hoped was wrong, she put up one word to let the boy continue. "But…?"

The boy obviously was startled at that, wondering how she knew he was going to say more. "But…you're my best friend…you still are…"

Kairi's gaze dropped from him and to the ground and she smiled crookedly at it. _'I'm right then…'_

Sora hurried to the girl's side, peering at her worriedly. He was afraid that he had hurt his best friend, but he had to be honest. No matter how confused he was feeling right now, he still always had the answer right there when Kairi needed one.

"Kai…Kairi, I…used to feel the same way, a year ago when the Island was destroyed, I thought of you more than anyone else. But…" There was a pause and Kairi caught Sora's eyes doubled in their size, as if he'd just realized something. Before she could ask, the boy shook his head and resumed. "I don't know what happened; I don't know what's wrong with me." I'm sorry…"

Just then Kairi looked up at him, a smile on her face, but Sora could tell she was forcing it.

"…Kairi-"

"You don't have to say it, Sora. There's nothing wrong with you." She forced another smile at him. "I already know, feelings can change as everything does. If feelings for a friend turn into something more, then why can't they go the other way around?" Then she looked down. "I just have to say it, and make sure." She closed her eyes, still smiling ruefully. "You already have someone."

"Wha-?" Blue eyes gaped at her, Sora agitated. "….I don't-."

Kairi let out a soft chuckle, bringing up one finger and poked it against Sora's chest. "That's one thing that's weird about you. You always follow you heart and know exactly what you want. Even when you used to like me that way, you knew it, but now you don't." The girl smiled wryly. "Then again, maybe this is the 180 degree turn over case for you, so it can be difficult. Or maybe you're even in denial."

There was a huge crash landing on Sora. Him? In denial? Sora never was in denial, ever. He had always been a boy who understood himself perfectly. What would he be in denial? "What? I don't…really get it," Sora confessed, feeling stupid. "What am I in denial of?"

"Can't say that." The girl shook her head in disapproval, and brought her hands up, patting at the boy's shoulder. "You have to figure it out yourself. Sora, you've always been thinking straight and simple, you just do that and you'll figure it out."

That was the last statement she made while facing Sora and the boy caught a glimpse of pain on her face. The next moment, when she swiftly turned, having her back turned to the boy, she murmured, "I forgot something at school too, you go on ahead, Sora." Without waiting for Sora's reply, she dashed off, sketchpad clutched tight under her arm.

Sora could only stare in her direction, one hand outstretched. He felt he should stop her, but he couldn't.

This was one hell of a day. His head would gain even more chance of exploding now that he couldn't even talk about the subject of his confusion with Riku, and Kairi had become another part of the weight upon him.

Sora rarely got depressed so he was quite surprised to find himself in that state now.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

My, my, I can't believe that I actually wrote something about triangle love. I really don't like that kind of concept; it's a pain in the ass. But like everything else, when I'm into KH, I started to like things I never liked before.

The idea of the school's bullies was inspired by Slam Dunk, this old anime has a good way of showing how the said bullies have a good side as well.

Not sure if this chapter is okay. Do you think I made Sora too clueless? I liked him that way though. In KH1, he did things that implied he wasn't clueless about love, like trying to hold Kairi's fading body (when the door had opened the 1st time) and holding her again when she brought him back from darkness. When it came to KH2, he barely responded when Tron or Kairi held him. If not counting the scene where Sora daydreamed of dancing with Kairi and where he begged Saix to tell him of Kairi's where about, it sure seemed to me that his romantic feelings were nowhere.

As usual then, let me know what you think.


	8. Ch 6 Confessions

**Chapter 6 Confessions**

Confused, Sora consciously decided that he should just go back home, so he was surprised that when he looked up, he saw Riku's house instead of his. He'd been walking the way that his feet freely led him.

Blue eyes blinked once or twice before he heaved a sigh, and, looking down at his feet, shifted and proceeded to talk to them. "Why did you bring me here?" A moment later he rolled his eyes, thinking he was going nuts. Shaking his head, he looked up at Riku's room, and his eyes traveled to the tree that he always climbed to get in.

He paced around and around, forming a tight circle. His train of thought drifted back to the earlier incident.

Sora was aware that Kairi, his best friend and first crush, had just gotten her heart broken _because _of him. He had never seen this coming. Why? The feelings he had for her hadn't just disappeared, he knew they were still there somehow, but they were different. Was it that his feelings were now for someone else? Kairi had definitely hinted at something like that.

More importantly, was it true that he was in denial?

The brunet pressed one finger to his jawbone. _'Well, Kairi told me just to think simply, like I used to do...and if I do that. Back then I thought about Kairi all the time…now, the person that's always on my mind is…" _

"Hey!"

Sora suddenly felt something soft hit his head, interrupting his thoughts. The object was small, but it did jar him a little. His head snapped up in search of the culprit.

"What are you doing, pacing in front of my house like a lost puppy?" At the window, was Riku. His elbow pressed against the sill and his chin rested in his palm. Oceanic green eyes gazed down at Sora, almost smirking in a familiar way. "Come to look for me or something?"

"Hey!" Sora shouted back while rubbing the spot where he'd been hit, slightly ticked off at Riku's greeting. Casting his eyes around, he found the piece of rubber that must have been what Riku had chucked at his head. Sora bent down to grab the object and threw it carelessly back at his friend, who caught it easily with one of his free hand while his other still supported his chin. A smirk pulled on Riku's lips.

The boy on the ground huffed, putting two fists up, fuming with the failure of his retaliation. But in contrast to his act, Sora was happy, and he felt as if a weight in his chest had lifted.

"So…what brings you here?" The boy at the window asked.

Sora tilted his head down, and pointed at his feet. "Them."

Riku laughed heartily. "That's an interesting answer." He drew back from bending over the window sill and beckoned with his hand. "Come on up. You can climb the tree like a monkey and jump through my window like you used to." The boy laughed again at his own suggestion, drawing another huff from Sora.

Realization was dawned to Sora at how his earlier depression was now completely gone. When Kairi had come out and forced things into the light, he hadn't been sure what to do. But now it was suddenly clear to Sora that whatever mess he ran into, he'd always ended up running to Riku. He didn't need to ask himself twice who was always on the top of his mind…that person was right in front of him.

That was because…

'_Riku is here.' _

"Riku."

"Hmm?"

"I…still have some homework. I'll see you tomorrow." With that, Sora suddenly rushed off without his usual cheerful wave, leaving Riku to stare blankly and wonder what had gotten into his friend.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sora ran home, different trains of thought reeling in his head. Pieces of the puzzle were starting to draw together. Especially now that he knew he didn't return Kairi's feelings, plus, his choice of destination after the ordeal. He was starting to figure out just what was making him so confused.

That night, he spent time glaring at the four walls of his room.

'_I…I used to like Kairi, she was important to me, more than anyone else. But then…' _Sora flipped himself to the side of his bed. _'…When I found Riku, I started to…' _

His blue eyes went wide. _'So the feelings I've had for Riku until now were the same ones I had for Kairi back then…does that mean?…No way…'_

'_You're denying it, Sora.' _Kairi's words echoed in his mind.

Sora flipped, twisted, and turned in his restlessness. A rare quiet moment passed before he suddenly bolted right up, face flushed all over.

His head tilted down, deep in thought. And it all came to him. The answer to the whole part of his confusion…was Riku.

'_But…but how…? It can't be. Riku's my best friend for goodness sake…' _Sora argued with himself as he dug himself under the pillow, trying to sleep and forget.

Still, he couldn't bring himself to sleep, his eyes traveled around the room as his thoughts went on. '_I know that Riku started acting differently after we came back, although, to me he was, and is, still the same old Riku I used to know. But…'_

Why ruffle his hair instead of hitting his head? Why did he get angry instead of rationalizing with someone else when that person accused Sora of something? Why hold him instead of shoving him around? Why protect him from everything?

A blush slowly crept across Sora's cheeks; he buried himself deeper into the pillow, hoping all would be just his imagination, but Sora knew it was to no avail. He wouldn't want to get too ahead of himself though. Maybe Riku did those things because he was (as Sora knew) the prisoner of his own guilt and therefore could he have adopted a new attitude to please Sora?

Would this fall into the category of denial? Still, Sora had been worried over Kairi when he told her off, and he didn't want to be the next victim of the same fate. After all, he'd always had thought…

'_Riku…he likes Kairi, doesn't he…?'_

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I love you, Riku."

His expression didn't change, even when he hadn't been expecting that at all. He wasn't particularly surprised though, people had been telling him for a long time that he would get some _confession_ one of these days.

The brunette in front of him stared right into his oceanic eyes, and Riku noted how overconfident she was.

What didn't sit well with him was that they were in the crowded hallway instead of some private place, like the small garden at the back of the school, where such a confession would normally be held. Riku already knew the outcome of this, the girl in front of him just simply wasn't really keen on picking a place to confess.

Riku didn't wait any longer to respond.

"Sorry." He provided a short word which he hoped would explain it all without having to say anything at all. There was a gasp and a surprised look from the girl which naturally had no effect on Riku.

She was a beautiful girl, with rich brown hair and blue eyes. With her popularity and perfection in others' eyes, many had wooed her but she turned them all down, since she's already set her heart on someone.

And that someone happened to be Riku.

"Oh," She finally sputtered, looking down at her feet for the first time. All the earlier confidence in her eyes was whisked away. "Can I ask you why?"

The boy sighed, wondering _why_ he should explain. He frowned a little, but tried to mask his annoyance. Hurting someone was something he did not need. Given that, he believed he would have to get the hang of it sooner or later.

"I don't really know you," he trailed off.

"Is that all? Don't you think normal people get together before they got to know more about each other?" The girl asked, drawing something on the ground with her toe.

Annoyance drove out Riku's unease. To him, it seemed that so many people try to hang on to all the drama, and how things are supposed to be, but he wasn't that type.

"I…already like someone." Riku rubbed the back of his neck. When he saw the girl about to open her mouth, he cut her off, hoping to end it all. "Don't ask who it is." Then he started to head away, ignoring the gasps and people's whisperings breaking out behind him.

Riku advanced to his homeroom, walking with his eyes not looking at anyone in particular. Sometimes he even walked with his eyes closed and when his classmates asked him how he managed to walk like that, he only shrugged at them. Unfortunately for him it only piqued their interest even more.

No one knew he had blindfolded himself to contain the darkness inside of him. No one knew he no longer wished for anyone to look at him directly in the eyes.

The darkness that no one had known. That terrible, crushing abyss no one had suffered.

No one but a certain few, no one but…

Sora.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You're not concentrating," the silver-haired tutor pointed out.

Sora made a whiny sound in his throat and stretched. "I…caaan't…"

They were again on the rooftop at lunch time, just the two of them.

Riku frowned, not knowing why Sora couldn't do well like every other day. He watched as the boy gave up and was now sprawling on the floor, yawning. He noticed his friend looked somewhat tensed. "Is something wrong?"

The brunet paused in his second stretch and rubbed the back of his hands over his closed eyes, easing the tiredness. "Nah, it's just…so many things have been bugging me up lately."

Sora hadn't slept well last night, Riku could tell the boy was blurring and spacing off time after time.

"Like what?"

"_Like…Kairi's confession…my feelings towards you."_ Sora thought mentally, but said something else. "It's nothing."

"Liar."

The brunet let his hands fall slack from his face, and he glanced up at Riku. His friend wasn't looking at him.

"You told me not to keep things away. Now look now who's doing it," Riku stated.

Sora felt trapped, so he tried to change the approach, "Weelll, it's about that girl that confessed to you…"

"Liar."

"What?"

"You're lying, that's not what you're really worried about."

"How can you…?"

"You suck at lying, and you always forget that. The only person that would believe your lies is you yourself."

Riku didn't sound accusing, instead his tone was very soft, so what he said didn't come out as hard as the words themselves. So he found it amusing when Sora looked as if he'd been slapped in the face.

Sighing dejectedly, Sora began, "Well…it's just…well…it's about you, Kairi, and I…How can I say this?" Then Sora regretted having started it and now he couldn't find it in himself to finish it. He felt that this wasn't normal. He just wasn't the type who couldn't say anything loud and clear.

"Sora," Riku murmured as he placed his hand on Sora's forehead. "It's okay. Don't worry your little head off."

The warm touch stirred something inside of Sora. He knew exactly what caused his distraction and he needed an answer. "Riku…do you like…Kairi? As in more than just a friend?"

The hands that provided warmth on Sora's forehead were immediately withdrawn. When Sora looked up, Riku was staring off the rooftop, his expression unreadable. Sora wondered what Riku's expression meant at the exact moment Riku said, "Why did you ask that?"

Sternness thick in Riku's voice made Sora cringe. _'Because you like her, but she likes me, and I like…gah…this is madness.' _His eyes searched for Riku's face, and Sora wondered why Riku looked angry. He looked again, and noticed that there was also…_sadness_?

"Riku?"

"You know, Sora, I wouldn't mind if you and Kairi got together." Riku stated as he closed his eyes, brows knitting slightly. "That's all I have to say."

"WHAT!?"

"I've said things the I have to say."

"You never answered my question! Wait! You think I and Kairi are together!?" Sora looked up indignantly at Riku who picked himself up which immediately threw Sora into action of grabbing his friend's wrist with both hands. The situation reminded Sora of how history just loved to repeat itself, whether it was now Riku and him, or Riku throwing around such words that he had said to Kairi earlier.

"Sora." Riku's tone turned tense as he tried to yank his hand off.

"Just answer the friggin' question!" the younger one repeated.

"No…I don't like her that way." Riku's voice was cold at the moment, instability getting the best of him.

"…huh? Oh." Uttering only few words, Sora found himself letting go of Riku's hand. Before Riku could take the chance and walk away, Sora started, "She…told me she liked me." Now that had caught Riku's attention.

"So…" Riku urged, emphasizing the syllable. "You and Kairi are…a couple now?" His last words came out barely above a whisper, and he couldn't help his voice being sardonic. Oceanic green eyes looked ahead, his head slightly tilted upward to the sky above them. His heart beat like a drum.

"No!" The other wailed in an attempt to quell his friend's tenor.

Riku blinked, eyes traveling back down to the other boy. Now he was puzzled.

"Are you still going to leave? Riku…I…."

At the sight of the lost boy, Riku's eyes softened. He sighed, burying his face in his hand. _Must he always leave?_ Something was telling him that he was killing Sora inside just by just the act of going away. He forced himself to settle back down.

"Well, she…confessed to me. When she came out and said it herself, it kind of made me realize that I don't feel for her the way I used to. It's just…weird…and I'm afraid I hurt her." Sora bit his lips, one hand coming up and grabbing the hem of his own shirt, looking very uncomfortable.

Riku's gaze turned thoughtful at both statements that Sora made and knew what he meant by that.

Sora had really thought he liked Kairi.

"No, you didn't. You know it could hurt more if you're not being truthful to her." Then he paused and asked again. "Are you sure about this? Sora? About letting her go. I thought…" He paused again, finding it hard to say but managing to force the words out. "I thought you really liked her." Things were descending into one hell of a confusing storm. Sora looked lost and so was he.

Sora opened his eyes wide in frustration. "Gah! Don't make me repeat myself!" He waved with such enthusiasm, then sunk into a feeble state.

Riku shifted his gaze. _'Really? This Sora who always takes things too seriously when it comes to Kairi?'_

"It's just been too much that I can't think straight anymore." The brunet waved again and smiled sheepishly, his sunken expression suddenly been forced into cheerful one. "How about you? I heard from Selphie you told someone off. Why did you reject that girl? She was smart and all; I think she would have suited you, Riku."

And Sora regretted the last statement he'd made. He didn't mean it, honest. Well, people say things they don't meant when they were confused, don't they?

The smaller boy flinched when Riku turned somewhat cold eyes to him. "You really think so?"

Given another chance, Sora acted truthfully and shook his head.

A soft chuckle emitted from Riku, his anger aborted by Sora's vehement act. "So why did you say it?"

"I don't know."

Riku looked up at the sky again and trailed off. "She's smart and all, true, but I didn't feel anything for her one bit. We barely know each other." He finally closed his eyes, tilting his head back down and smiled wryly. "I just keep wondering why people make confessions to people they barely know."

Blue eyes turned attentively at him. "So…you prefer someone you know well?"

The taller boy was slightly taken aback by the straight-to-point comment that Sora made. He usually wasn't too good at making those. The brunet probably had no idea at all what Riku preferred.

"Yeah."

Things were getting more and more offhanded when they just shut up and kept it all inside. _'Just follow your heart, Riku.' _Summing up Kairi's words in his head, Riku inhaled the breezy air deeply and began. "If I'm to like someone, which I…already do, it's not Kairi though." Riku was surprised at how Sora turned so attentively and he became intent on not to making anymore hideaways or delays to this. "That person would be someone who'd been through all kinds of things with me. Although sometimes we fight, in the end we always go home together." With that, Riku tentatively turned and studied his friend.

Sora, who had let his mouth hang open for a while, gaping at Riku, turned away and gazed at the rooftop fence ahead of him. Sky blue eyes suddenly turned wistful as Sora blanked out for a moment and trailed off. "That sounds…just like me."

"Yeah, it is you, dimwit," the taller boy confirmed.

Silence consumed them.

When Sora tilted his head back to look questioningly at his friend, Riku was already staring hard at him, waiting for a response. What he got next was Sora's reddened face. Just when Riku thought that his friend would blush until his face burned, Sora suddenly busted out laughing.

But Riku could tell it was fake and forced.

"What's so funny?"

"You're kidding," the younger of the two blurted, grinning widely.

Riku was taken aback; he hadn't thought Sora would react this way. Ticked off by his friend's behavior, he stood his ground. "I'_m_ serious."

"Oww, quit it already, Riku!" The brunet made a playful voice, and the other could tell again that it was forced. Sora picked himself up and walked to the fence, not turning back. His voice took on an edgy tone, and he yelled back, "Because it's _not_ funny!" Sora fisted his hands at the fence, looking down at the school's courtyard, which held only a few people on the sunny day.

Riku's frown deepened, searching for answers as to why his friend had suddenly turned unnaturally moody. He knew there could be two possibilities. Either Sora was angry at him for harboring such feelings towards a best friend; or, as he hoped, Sora might feel the same way and misunderstood that Riku was playing with him, or worst, Sora was still clueless.

To him, there was no turning back now. He'd come this far and Riku needed to know, he needed answer, right now, or never. No matter how he was afraid that it could have been the former reason that made Sora this way.

"Are you still clueless? Do I _really_ have to say those _three_ words to make you understand?" The taller boy sighed, throwing his head back slightly.

Sora didn't respond, but he did think. Were those word the famous 'Giving up already?' His list of three word Riku-isms went on, not knowing that what he thought of was completely off what Riku had in mind.

"Or…do you still think I'm just messing with you?" Riku asked quietly, smacking his hand over his head.

The silver-haired boy got up, advancing towards the other boy, who still had his back turned to him. When he was behind him, the brunet flinched, knowing the other was near. Riku reached both hands and grabbed the fence just above Sora's hand that clutched on the thin line of metallic weave. The smaller boy was literally between his arms.

Riku waited until Sora's hands slid down from the thin metal and he turned, with some difficulty, as not to touch the taller boy who trapped him there. Sky blue eyes were blank and they would not look at the intense oceanic green ones staring so intently down at him.

Sora was unsure what to do. On the other hand, Riku knew exactly what he should do.

The taller boy shifted one of his hands down from the fence and rested it softly at the base of the smaller boy's neck, forcing the brunet to look up at him. Riku then bent down closer. Sora fully expected his friend to burst out laughing or stop and smirk when their faces came close enough. He believed Riku would soon laugh it off and tell him how stupid he was for falling for a trick. He would tease Sora all day about this and probably tell the others.

So he was caught off guard when all those things didn't happened, and instead, Riku's face never stopped coming nearer until their lips touched.

His eyes widened, Sora felt his mind go blank while his heart beat like hell against his ribcage. Although he wasn't very rational at the moment, due to pure shock, he still felt his best friend's other hand snake behind his waist, pulling him closer. Their lips meshed deeper at that and Sora shut his eyes tight.

Riku had never felt so content before, since from the night that Sora visited him after they had returned home. To him, the moment felt so right, that his best friend was in his arms right here.

His reverie was interrupted when he suddenly heard a muffled moan and felt hands and arms scraping over his chest, trying to push him away. Reality bit in, and it bit hard, registering that the smaller boy wanted _out_. Even though his well-built body could overpower the smaller frame of Sora, he immediately let go of his friend.

Riku took a step back, eyes taking in the sight of Sora turning red all over. Blue eyes were still wide from pure shock and his hands now hung slack at his sides after pushing Riku away. Sora slumped back against the fence, panting and puffing for a while before his knees gave out and he slid back against the fence, and down to the ground. There was no hint of revulsion in Sora's eyes, but Riku assumed that it was because Sora was still dumbstruck.

Because regardless of anything, Sora _did_ push him away.

'_So that's the answer.'_ Riku stared at the boy for a long while before letting off a smile, a crooked one.

Sora could only stare up to his standing friend with the same earlier expression: shock. When he opened his mouth, no words came out.

Riku only stood there, seeing his best friend trying to form each word, but none come. It had been enough. Sora had pushed him; that alone was enough. He couldn't stay and wait until his best friend gained back full consciousness and would soon probably act the way that it would surely kill him inside.

"Sora," the standing boy trailed off, looking away, and shoving his hands in his pants' pockets. "Now I know you don't feel the same way. I'm…sorry about that." He saw his friend blink up at him, but then Riku turned his back and started heading towards the door. He stopped in front of it and tilted his head back slightly so that the other couldn't see his face, nor could he see the other's face. "Forget it, will you? Forget it ever happened."

With that, Riku was gone by the door, leaving Sora still sitting on the rooftop floor. His back was against the fence, his one hand outstretch to Riku's direction, he whispered. "…Riku…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pencil scribbling against thick paper created a comforting sound, Kairi had learned. She hummed softly, feeling content, although her heart wasn't really at rest right now. Somehow, she believed soon, things would turn out fine. She had trust in her friends, it was only a matter of time that awkwardness would take its leave and all the three of them would be happy again.

"Kairi, wow, that's nice." Selphie chirped from behind her, looking at Kairi's drawing.

It had been that way the whole time. While Selphie would walk around the room, organizing the club, Kairi would mostly sit and draw. It had seemed a change in everyone's eyes, but all in all, everyone knew she hadn't really changed at all.

Selphie's green eyes caught the sight of someone at the doorway and she said, "Riku?"

When Kairi heard the name mentioned, she looked up and saw Riku there. Riku was standing behind the window of the room, looking in solemnly. Without any movement Riku made and without saying or motioning anything, Kairi set her drawing board down and got up, while acknowledging to Selphie that she would be back later.

While the curly haired girl got back to her task, Kairi opened the door, beckoning Riku to come in which the boy follow accordingly. Outside was too crowded anyway.

As the door was closed, Kairi looked up at her taller friend, yet clearly seeing the clearer expression on Riku's face. She frowned at those gloomy and longing face, Kairi was sure that it must be something about a certain brunet friend of theirs. She asked concernedly, "Riku, what's wrong?"

The said boy leaned against the wall, arms crossing over his chest, eyes looking away.

Kairi waited patiently as Riku didn't say a word. She finally let out an inaudible sigh and smiled softly. "Hey, why don't you have a seat?" Then she dragged the boy into the room and made him sit on the chair she'd previously occupied. "Look, Selphie's doing great with this club, maybe you should join too sometimes. It'll be fun."

The redhead motioned to Selphie who waved happily back and came scooting in, chirping about the activities in the club that Riku was welcomed to join. Riku only forced a smile back. Only when Selphie got back to her task again did Riku let his head hang low, and clasped his hands together.

Putting a comforting hand on her friend's back, Kairi bent down concernedly. "Riku?"

"I told him, Kairi," Riku finally blurted out.

"Huh?" The girl let out, not getting it at first, but she realized suddenly. "…oh." She could predict by Riku's behavior now that it hadn't turned out as she had expected. Still, she couldn't bring herself to believe if what Riku had told her was the case. She didn't want to get too ahead of herself; she wanted to hear from Riku. "And…?"

Riku closed his eyes in dismay. "He thought I was kidding at first. So I…" Kairi had to bend in a little more as Riku's voice was fading. "….took action and he…pushed me away."

What kind of action Riku taken Kairi has no idea, nor did she want to know at the time. Riku had told the story himself, Sora rejected him and that was all there was to it. Kairi felt her heart sink, understood perfectly of how it felt. As weird as it sounded, Kairi _believed _that it could be harder for Riku than for her. Sure she valued Sora more than anything, but she had lived a whole year without him. Although there was a hollowness inside her heart, she still had her family and friends, something to write, and something to draw.

As for Riku, she'd heard he'd given up everything and anything for Sora. The only thing that barely kept him alive a year in darkness was solely his will to wake Sora and the memories of Sora he'd had to keep burning strongly, not allowing any chance of them to fade away due to Namine's necessary act of Sora's memory rearrangement.

The fact that Riku was still here and now was partially because of her, but mainly because of Sora.

Kairi was even surprised with herself that it was harder to bring herself to believe that Sora rejected Riku more than Sora rejected her. She would have laughed out so loud if the situation hadn't been so terrible for her friend now.

She wanted to make sure. "Then what…?"

"I walked out while he was still in shock, I couldn't bear to stand there until he gained back his right mind and yelled at me, or pushed me off the rooftop." Riku found himself babbling.

Kairi's eyes flashed at that. She's found the loophole in the situation.

"So Sora's still in shock, it's not like he's rejected you already. You didn't wait and see, he's slow when it comes to this kind of thing and you know it."

Riku tilted his head up and looked at the girl in the eyes. "Kairi, I couldn't." There was tension in the boy's voice as he pressed on. "He pushed me away, Kairi. I just couldn't stand there."

Kairi couldn't say much of anything to that. She could only provide comfort any way she could. Hopefully, she could sort things out later. Kairi patted Riku's back once more and they both heard the bell suddenly ring, demanding that students should be where they were supposed to be.

They both headed to their class and Kairi saw Riku blank out more than ever for the rest of their classes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The bell rang, dismissing classes for the day. Riku had been the first one who left the room without packing much of anything like he usually did. He waved 'bye' to Kairi a bye and left without saying a word.

After all, Riku had assured her that he would be fine in the next day. A person like Sora would still be a friend no matter what. Maybe now they could just go back to being three best friends like before, when no love crushes resided in anyone's heart. For now, Riku had communicated that he wanted to be alone.

Kairi waited for Sora at their usual spot. It had been a while since she hadn't walked home with Sora or Riku. Time passed by and she glanced at the nearby clock, and Sora still hadn't appeared. She wondered if Sora wouldn't come.

Anxiousness welled up inside of her as the thought crossed her mind that this might not be their usual spot anymore.

Then she caught sight of her friend approaching and felt the weight on her shoulder lift away. She called out to Selphie who walked beside Tidus, who dragged Sora, walking like a zombie, in Kairi's direction.

"What's wrong?" Kairi asked, although she could guess what was wrong with Sora. Though she did wonder, _'Has he been dumbstruck this entire time?'_

Tidus shrugged. "Have no idea. He's been this way since he came back for afternoon classes. It's typical for him to blank out during class, but it was totally weird when he didn't even move after the classes ended."

Selphie nodded with enthusiasm while Kairi frowned and observed Sora.

Sora, meanwhile, registering Kairi, smiled blankly like a puppet and said with a voice void of specific emotion. "Kairi? Hi. Let's go home."

"I'll take it from here; I need to talk to him. Thanks." The redhead motioned to Selphie who nodded understandingly, despite the fact that she didn't know the whole story yet. She dragged Tidus off and the two set out their own way. "Come on, Sora." Kairi led, and Sora followed like a younger brother to older sister.

The two walked in silence.

Kairi'd been thinking all along the way, while Sora couldn't think of anything except what had happened to him back at lunch. The girl stole a glance at the boy from time to time until they reached her house.

"We're here," Kairi announced at the senseless boy.

When Sora looked up, started to walk up the drive, then let out a void laugh. "Ha ha, Kairi, this is your house. I didn't even notice."

"Get a grip on yourself already, Sora." Kairi turned to him, an edge in her voice. "We need to talk or else you'll continue to hurt the one you care about most."

Sky blue eyes blinked, and they were more focused this time in response to Kairi's tense voice. "What?"

Kairi smiled wryly at Sora who began to pay more attention "Come in, I'll give you cookies." With that, she opened the door and let Sora in.

There was no one in the house; Kairi's parents had run off for some errand for the day. Kairi let Sora wait in the guest room while she went in and out of the kitchen, a plate of cookies and glasses of milk in her grip upon her return. She set them on the table in front of Sora, but he only eyed the offering.

"Eat." Kairi commanded as she settled herself on the couch opposite Sora.

The boy behaved accordingly, taking one of the cookies. He was a bit confused. He surely sensed the tension in the air concerning whatever Kairi wanted to talk about. _But why cookies?_ He wondered while he took a bite.

Kairi watched those sky blue eyes light up slightly as the sweet taste of sugar seeped into his tongue.

"It's really good." His mouth parted slightly like a child.

Smiling, Kairi let her soft laugh cool the tense air above Sora's head. "Isn't it? Selphie gave me those last night. Cookies make us happy, don't they?"

'_I see, that's why.' _Sora nodded enthusiastically. It was Kairi and he who really loved all those sweets and said that cookies lightened the human spirit.

"They sell them it few blocks from here. We can go get them together next time…with the others…and Riku too." The girl let her idle chatter lead into the main subject.

With the name mentioned, Sora's eyes dropped, obviously to avoid Kairi studying gaze. When the brunet looked up, he noticed Kairi's scrutiny and he grinned sheepishly. "Heh heh, Riku…would only scold us for the tooth decay thing."

Then there went another long silence.

"You didn't ask where Riku had gone to today. He didn't wait for us." At that, she turned to the side, and played with her hair. "-although it had been a while that the three of us hadn't walked home together. It would be either Riku and you, you and me, or Riku and I."

Sora finished the cookie and only sat in silence after a small 'hnn,' a noise that seldom escaped his lips. Kairi knew normally the boy would have started on the next cookie already.

"Sora?"

"…Yeah?"

"You think the three of us can still be the same?"

"…"

That was another unusual response for Sora. More often than not the forever optimistic boy would have already voiced his answer without hesitation. Kairi just hoped that it wasn't that way because Sora was still confused about the whole thing with Riku. When she turned back and looked at Sora, she was surprised that his blue eyes appeared saddened.

"I…really hope so," Sora finally answered.

Kairi's violet eyes turned wide at that. "I can't believe you say that, Sora."

"I…I don't know, Kairi!" Sora's voice got a little impatient as his head snapped up at her. He wasn't angry, but he sure couldn't keep himself as calm as he should. "It's just that…"

"Just what…?" Kairi urged. Things were driving all of them crazy and she didn't want that. "It's about Riku, right?"

Sora's small shoulders drooped, as did his gaze. Kairi noticed the boy's cheeks colored and she realized.

"Riku…he…" Sora hesitated. So many things were in his head and it was about to explode anytime. He had spaced out all along the way after what had happened. It was like some sort of defense mechanism that activated to protect him from dying of thinking too much. Though it was no worse than fighting with Heartless, it was a different kind of tension entirely. He wanted to tell someone, wanted to talk about it before it blew his head off.

Kairi waited, but Sora didn't continue.

She could tell that the boy was crashing inside. She began to really wonder for the first time exactly what Riku had done to Sora. Maybe Riku had given in to his temptation? Maybe Riku had gone past the line? Immediately she chastised herself; she couldn't imagine herself having such a thought.

"Did he do anything…to you?" Kairi bent in, asking concernedly and half curiously.

That was when Sora looked at her thoughtfully and said. "Kairi, you're my best friend. I…could have talked this over with you, but…"

Kairi thought for a while, and understood the hidden message. "Sora, if you're thinking that you don't want to talk about it because you're afraid of hurting me, then…" She suddenly stood up, looking down at Sora with fuming eyes and hands on her hips. "YOU'RE WRONG!!"

The sitting boy glanced up, dumbstruck, as he jerked back slightly against the couch. But then Kairi cleared her throat and settled herself down calmly as if she hadn't shouted at him in the first place. Sora could only stare like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Sora, you and I are history but we're still best friends, right? If you have anything in your heart concerning your crush or whatsoever, you really don't have to worry about me. I'm fine, Sora." The redhead girl half-lied as she smiled cheerfully, still being half-truthful. Then she mocked teasingly, lying to Sora "I don't like you that way anymore, don't get so cocky, Sora." It was a lie. It wasn't that easy to just stop and back off from the person she trusted most and that she had once literally entrusted her heart with.

The boy chuckled, feeling somewhat relieved and not picking up on the lie..

"So…what about you then? Something's up with you and Riku?" She rebounded back on topic.

The brunet lowered his head, mumbling something Kairi couldn't make out. Then he brought his knees up, wrapping his arms around them and burying his face in them.

"What did you say?" Kairi frowned as she bent in closer. "Can't hear you." Kairi made a teasing voice which twinged Sora's nerves.

Sora head snapped up from his sulky position, eyes shut tight in embarrassment and yelled out of impatience. "He kissed me!!" He clamped his mouth shut as soon as the words left it.

Another wave of silence dropped as Kairi stared wide-eyed, while Sora could only glance at her from time to time, frowning, and wondering what she could possibly think of him now.

"…oh." The girl trailed off, and brought one of her hands up to her head, trying to think. "He did tell me he took some action, but I didn't think he would do that to you," she revealed and heard Sora gasped audibly.

"He told you that!?" the boy blurted out, almost falling of the couch.

Kairi shifted her eyes back to Sora who fidgeted for a long while, then she closed her eyes and sighed. "At least he didn't pin you against something and-"

"Kairi!!" The boy cut in before the other could finish her sentence. He was puffing and getting so red that if he was in the market, the seller would have packed him in the tomato sack.

Then and there, Kairi discovered for the first time of her amusement with Sora's reaction to the whole thing.

The redheaded girl waved her hand up and down dismissingly and giggled. "Just kidding. He wouldn't do that without your consent, he's not that kind." Then her thoughts trailed back to what Riku had told her earlier at the school.

'_He pushed me away.' _Riku had said in a broken voice.

Sora hadn't been giving much to hint Kairi about how exactly he felt towards Riku. Kairi opted to ask. "How'd it go?" She hoped he would answer so she could piece things together.

"I…I don't know…My knees gave out…He walked out…I couldn't follow him…" Sora stuttered as he revealed everything. Just then he realized what he had said, and somehow it hurt him. Why couldn't he follow? Wasn't it him that would follow Riku everywhere and anywhere? He shook his head and Kairi's next statement hit him fully.

"Your knees give out a lot whenever it comes to Riku." Kairi tapped the finger on her chin, thinking back to the time she saw Sora cry at Riku's feet. She was shocked back then, but she knew it shouldn't come as much of a surprise now.

"Kairi! I'm serious!" Grabbing a pillow, Sora stuffed the fluffy thing to his chest tightly and he wasn't aware of it. He was just feeling so unstable and edgy that he needed something in his arms to hold on to. Others would have viewed it as a senseless action, but that was just the way Sora behaved on rare occasions.

"So am I," Kairi returned squarely and ventured, "So…you like him?"

"…umm…"

She knew Sora couldn't answer, so she turned the other way around. "Do you hate him for it?"

"No way!! I could never hate him!" Sora huffed indignantly.

"Riku told me you pushed him away. So I guess there must be some misunderstanding."

The brunet avoided her gaze, and hid half of his face against the huge pillow, his cheeks getting redder every moment. "…that…"

"Is there any particular reason why you pushed him away?" Kairi prodded.

Sora mumbled something against the pillow again.

The girl sighed once more. "You don't have to tell me, but you have to explain it to Riku eventually because he thinks you pushed him away. You should know what that means."

The boy got his face out of the pillow, looking worriedly at the girl.

Kairi gave him a wry smile as she concluded. "So…you feel the same way toward Riku after all?"

To the girl's exasperation, the boy shook his head and whispered. "I…don't know…Kairi…I honestly don't know."

"Say, how did you feel when Riku-" She tapped at her own mouth, emphasizing the point. "-_kissed_ you?"

Burying half of his face once more in the pillow, Sora spoke. "I don't know. It's just…everything just went blank…and after that, the world was spinning…I felt my heart beat against my ribcage like it would burst…so…that can't be good, can it?"

Kairi wanted to laugh out so loud at that. If there was an award for the slowest person concerning love, she would really love to bestow the crown upon Sora.

"It's not a bad thing, Sora." Kairi explained. "You're not angry at him for kissing you, right?"

"Of course not!"

"Think about it honestly, Sora. How did you feel at the time?" asked Kairi and she waited.

"…It's fuzzy…and warm…I guess" Blue eyes shifted to the side as Sora let that out and he held onto the pillow absentmindedly. "Everybody is warm when they are near, but Riku is different. I used to think that he's cold sometimes but now it turns the other way around." The lower half of his face was still hidden by the pillow, but Kairi could tell from the way his eyes that softened that Sora was…

"You're smiling," Kairi announced.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"…I….didn't" Sora brought both of his hands up, clamping over his own face.

"It would be so much easier for you and me and for everyone if you just came out and admitted you like him." Sighing with a smile, Kairi laid back against the couch, as if all was done. Funny how things can suddenly become so reasonable.

"What!?"

"You heard me."

"Kairi, I never said…"

"Accept the truth, will you, Sora? Everyone realized a long time ago, except you." the girl pointed out, almost harshly.

"Kairi! Riku _is_ my best friend!" Sora shoved the pillow aside, his voice cross..

"And he turned into something more," the girl mended. "Gee, I never expected this, but you need to come out of denial already."

A small nerve made its way towards Sora's little forehead, causing him to snap. Sora threw his hands up in exasperation, yelling, "All right, all right! I heard you! I got it!" Then he jumped over the small table that was between him and Kairi, plopping himself down directly on the couch beside his friend and stared into the girl's eyes squarely.

"Roses are red, violets are blue, I like someone, and it is Riku!!"

Kairi gawked at her friend who was puffing at his own revelation. When she regained herself, she giggled despite the ache in her chest. Sora backed off in embarrassment.

Somehow, Sora felt as if the entire burden in his mind had lifted. His heart and his head were freed of the tension and denial that he realized he'd been carrying for far too long. Now that he had spilled everything, things were _so _much lighter.

"That's a good one," the redhead finally said. "But I already knew that. You need to tell Riku, make him understand. You misled him into thinking that you reject him."

"What?" Sora aske, the words not sinking into his mind.

"He said you pushed him away," Kairi explained. "I suppose that you were only in shock." When she spotted the look of sheepishness on Sora's face, she suspected something. "Or was there other reason?"

Quickly waving a _'no' _sign in front of him dismissingly, Sora laughed meekly.

Kairi's eyes narrowed but she kept her thoughts to herself. "Even if there is, you should just explain it to Riku himself."

Sora made a sound in his throat and Kairi could tell that the boy was getting nervous and fidgety. Be it a Heartless or whatever the battle, she knew it was easier for Sora to jump in and fight the battle rather than facing this complicated stuff and a confession to Riku.

"Sora, Riku is hurt."

Blue eyes looked up, eyes clouding with worry before they looked away. "Okay, I got it, Kairi." He smiled up at her.

Kairi smiled back, then patted on the brunet's arm cheerfully. "I know you can do it."

"Thanks, Kairi." the boy said truthfully, looking serious all of the sudden. "You've been a very best friend and-" He brought himself to a halt, thinking over what he was saying, and wondering if he should apologize again. Was this the time? He really felt bad about turning Kairi down and moreover confessing about how he felt for Riku to her.

"Don't mention it, Sora. We're still best friends, and things are ok that way." Kairi assured him, already guessing what was on his mind. "Just…" She took a deep breath. "Come back with good news that you're cool with Riku, all right?"

The boy nodded, feeling grateful.

"Now finish all those cookies, will you?"

After the cookies and milk with some more talk of mundane stuffs till night fell, Kairi let Sora go home. She felt like urging Sora to go to Riku right then and there. However, Riku had made it obvious that he wanted to be alone for a while and Sora seemed to need time.

She watched as Sora waved at her in farewell, while she remained in the yard.

It wasn't like she had totally given up on Sora. It pained her that Sora and she hadn't turned out the way they'd both expected.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The countless stars shone bright on the inky sky. Sora kept his head looking up as he walked home alone on the dimmed street, half visible by the series of street lights and half obscured by the dark. Although in the dark night, he could feel the lightness in his heart and in his head. He let out a soft smile, and started skipping a bit, marveling at how his body had become lighter. He hadn't known the weight until he was free of it.

He'd just learned that once things had come into the light, it was just so easy to accept them. It was liberating.

Strange how things turned out the way they did, he himself was dumbstruck by it. He had always had Kairi as priority in his mind. He recalled when Saix had asked him how important Kairi was to him; he had forced himself to get down on his knees and beg for her whereabouts. Later, when he met back up with Riku, his knees just gave out on their own.

Kairi was the one who had always waited for them and welcomed them home with her extended hand and warm smile, but Riku…even when he never showed himself, Sora still felt that he was always there beside him on his journey from beginning to end.

Sora decided long ago that he wouldn't lose his best friend _again_. He would set things right by tomorrow when he met Riku.

Unknown to him, that while he didn't take immediate action, it could cost him Riku himself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

'_That was all wrong, wasn't it?' _Riku thought solemnly as he sat on his own bed in his own room. His head rested against the open window as his eyes drifted to the far off ocean.

The look in Sora's eyes came back to him; the way his _best friend _had slumped to the floor in heap was most vivid in his mind.

'_It's wrong, it's wrong, it's wrong…' _The words keep running through his head. _'What place do I have to do that to him? Why? Why am I even here anyway? I came back because Sora said we'd go together, but I'm not supposed to be here, am I? It's obvious they were for each other. Kairi's heart was entrusted to Sora once, shouldn't that mean something? Me being here, only made Sora believe that he should be responsible for me falling into darkness.'_

He slowly lifted his head up and gazed out to the darkened ocean once more, thinking back to the day he came back, with Sora.

'_It all began with a letter from Kairi. The letter that was supposedly for Sora, and Sora alone. Sora was the only rightful recipient to Kairi's letter. Kairi had written it to Sora only, not Riku._

_The letter that let Sora's heart to open the door to the light. Sora's heart, which resonated with Kairi's letter and opened the door to the light. The door to the light that should led Sora home to Kairi. _

_Only Sora. Wasn't that the way it was supposed to be? Riku was a being of darkness now, shouldn't he belong to the darkness?' _

_..._

'_You don't belong in the dark realm anymore, Riku.'_ Riku just knew Mickey's words were only partially true. Not being able to summon the dark portal to the dark realm didn't mean that he wasn't able to summon his dark power.

Riku cradled his head in between both of his hands. He never expected that only Sora's rejection alone could make him feel _this _awful. He knew perfectly well that it wasn't like Sora would hate him for it, Sora just wasn't that kind. It made Riku realize how obsessed and possessive he'd become. He didn't even know when or how it had happened, but he couldn't care less.

He remained in the same position until he felt a thump against his left arm, particularly his wrist. He snapped up and eyes widened. Then he slowly forced his eyes to look at his own wrist which was covered in his usual white arm band.

He could look at it, he was not afraid, not one bit. Nothing mattered anymore. However, because of that, he didn't even care to look at it.

Riku only allowed himself to be overtaken by restless sleep.

'_Sleep will make you feel fine, it will make you forget; it will lead you into the land of darkness, where nothing matters.' _

_Thump…_


	9. Interlude 00 : RikuSora : Awake

Another interlude before I get into the main chapter. I made this a separate one-shot earlier, but I got it thoroughly re-editted with Cetrasai's help, and I figured that I wanna put it back to where it belongs, here.

As in interlude of "Missing," Sora was talking about how he had woken up and jumped on Donald and Goofy for a hug. Riku was there, so this should explain that part!

**Interlude 0.0: Riku x Sora: Awake**

**Summary:** Riku always watched, until the day Sora came to awaken.

X

He watched Sora; he always did, even though he knew full well his best friend couldn't see him. Sora had been asleep for almost a year, after all.

Most of the time, Riku took his blindfold off when he watched the other boy. He learned to suppress the darkness inside of him, if only momentarily. He needed to see, actually see, the boy in that white, egg-shaped contraption, which was working to restore his memory.

The brown-haired boy floated in the orb, sleeping like a baby, completely unaware of anything on the outside. Completely unaware of the world falling apart; how the darkness could creep around every corner into anyone's heart…

But Riku would protect the sleeping boy through it all.

He'd give anything and everything to bring the boy he'd once betrayed, back again.

_His best friend. His…_

Riku couldn't be sure if his feelings had turned into something more.

But it didn't matter. He didn't care about his own feelings. All he cared about was Sora waking up, Sora going back to Kairi on the island, safe and sound.

_Then again, if Riku didn't plan to go back with Sora, wouldn't Sora's choice to search for him instead of going back to an island home with Kairi completely futile?_

He knew he'd caused a great deal of pain to his best friend, more than could be forgiven. That was why he hadn't hesitated one bit to assist Sora and do any little thing he could, to help him defeat Xehanort's Heartless, and to send Sora back home when he'd come to his senses.

However, Sora remained stuck in a void.

"You're so stubborn, Sora. You'll never change," Riku murmured to him, although he knew the boy couldn't hear it.

It had always been that way. Him…talking one-sided to a sleeping Sora.

Riku heard the door creak open. Diz was there, the man he'd been working with. They cooperated to strive towards their goals, but it was still unclear to Riku what Diz's actual goal was. At the time, he hadn't really thought about it; Diz's aims didn't matter to him. Working with Diz would eventually help him reach his own goal: Sora's awakening.

So far Riku only knew that Diz was opposed to the Heartless and Darkness. Whatever lurked behind that, Riku couldn't be so sure. Somehow, though he felt as if he knew more about Diz than he consciously realized. Something about Diz was akin to his own nature back then, when he was lost in the darkness.

Despite the fact that he didn't really care about anything but bringing Sora back, he had to admit at a certain point that he did care. He had to grudgingly admit that without Diz, he might not be able to bring Sora back on his own at all.

But there wasn't only Diz. There was also Namine, whom he'd grown to trust with all his heart. Whether it was because of Namine was Kairi's Nobody or whatnot, he trusted her. Kairi had been like a little sister to him, and he felt the same way for Namine; although, sometimes Namine acted more like his older sister than the other way around. The petite blonde girl occasionally looked after him, and was there for him when he just needed support, no matter how insignificant.

There was also the King, who had helped him out of the darkness itself, and encouraged him with the light.

Riku found himself unable to not care. These people had given him hope that he could face Sora again, while he alone was so full of self-doubt.

Maybe, just maybe, he could face his best friend again.

Diz beckoned to him, and Riku nodded.

He looked at sleeping boy one more time. "Sora, I'll bring _him_ to you, so you can wake up soon. Until then…"

He secured the blindfold around his eyes again, and followed Diz's direction out of the room.

X

Across the hall of the so-called haunted mansion, which was situated in Twilight Town, Riku saw the girl in white who happened to be out of her room at the same time.

"Hey, Namine," he greeted her. He'd always been fascinated that a Nobody could turn out to be the soft type, contrary to her original Somebody. They were completely opposite, but yet smelled the same.

"Hello, Riku," Namine returned softly with a smile. "You're done talking with Sora?"

"Yeah."

It had always been that way. Before this, Namine would spend most of her time either drawing in her room or looking over Sora in the lab. Mostly, she had been in Sora's room when Riku visited. Only after a certain amount of time did she start excusing herself from the room whenever Riku came to see Sora.

Riku didn't know if she knew something was up with him. Maybe she did, but there was no need to voice it aloud.

"Come, Riku," Diz called one more time to hurry Riku on. He also spoke to the blonde girl, "Namine, take care of Sora. We'll bring his Nobody soon."

The blindfolded boy nodded at the command and excused himself from Namine. He had caught the worried features that crossed Namine's face. He wondered what they meant, but he didn't have time to ask anything.

_First priority was Sora, always Sora._

X

His visit after attaining Sora's Nobody, Roxas, was disturbing.

Riku came back alive, but he wasn't himself anymore. Mentally, yes, but physically, no. He'd turned into the someone that he despised most of all.

His outer shell had turned into the body of Xehanort's Heartless.

He wondered if he would ever change back, but more than anything, he wondered if he would ever be able to face Sora like this. The doubts that King Mickey, Diz, and Namine had chased away from him began coming back to cloud his mind.

Namine was the second one to witness his change after Diz had gone and brought Riku and the unconscious Roxas back from the World That Never Was

Namine had gasped slightly at the sight, but somehow she knew he was still Riku.

"It doesn't matter, because you're still you," they all had said.

Riku tried to believe them, he tried with all he was worth, but failed miserably whenever he saw himself. He hated even when only his own hands appeared in his line of vision, let alone if he looked in the mirror. Most of the time, he had his hood up, and the organization coat did a great job in shielding everything he didn't want to see.

However, he never regretted it. Never even once had the thought of regret crossed his mind.

But, somehow, all in all, he came to the conclusion that he could never face Sora in this terrible form.

In the seven days before Roxas would merge with Sora, he needed to get everything done, while he had to go over to the digital Twilight Town and watch Roxas's moves as well.

Somewhere along the line, he understood why Namine was worried when she was told about the plan for Riku to bring Roxas to Sora. Namine cared about Roxas's existence. Whether it was Kairi's heart that resonated with care for Sora or something else, Riku didn't pry into a search for answers. Still, he had to stop her from revealing too much to the clueless Roxas who had forgotten who he was.

Then again, there was this guy, Axel, who'd hacked into the system and tried to get Roxas back.

Things were getting out of hand. Even Diz mentioned that Namine was beyond his control.

Eventually, Riku was boiling with frustration.

He'd brought Roxas to help Sora wake up, and prepared the arrangement to kick the stubborn boy back to his island home, to Kairi. He'd laid out a perfect plan, but things and people just kept getting in his way. The Nobodies, the Shadows, the Dusks, the Organization.

Still, all he could do was to wait anxiously as the computer reported the restoration's percentage.

Until the 7th day, nothing sounded better than "_Restoration at 100."_

Riku somehow couldn't help but feel bad when Roxas came to find out about his true being. He could only watch from the outside when the Nobody was shouting his heart out to Diz, who explained the whole situation, cold and heartless as always.

It had only been 7 days, but Riku could tell that it seemed like forever to Roxas. Diz's digital memory for Roxas was perfect, so perfect that it made Riku realize how badly the Nobody boy was affected by it.

Diz had told him that Nobodies felt nothing, but Riku knew better. He had fought with Roxas, he'd been with Namine, and he'd seen how desperately Axel wanted Roxas back. He knew full well that Nobodies did not feel nothing.

After all, he'd become fond of Namine with her good nature, so similar to Kairi's. He'd started to feel the same way for Roxas, who was so like Sora.

_Still, all in all, Sora came first._

Even though he wouldn't face Sora again, everything would be fine; even though he wouldn't be able to make it home again, everything would be okay.

_Because Sora was awake._

He watched as Sora jumped down to his two companions, a human-duck and dog, for a brief hug. Then they hopped around cheerfully in circle like little kids.

Riku smiled at how energetic Sora still was, even through a year of sleep.

He barely listened to what they were saying, but he was expecting and even praying to hear something along the lines of "let's go home." Unfortunately that never came though.

The awakened brunet crossed his arms over his chest, reflecting back on what had happened. After all was said he ended with, "Oh yeah, and then we went to look for Riku."

Nothing was more certain than hearing the words from Sora himself.

That was the last thing that Sora had remembered a year ago, and still remembered now.

Riku didn't know whether he should be glad or not. He felt his heart lighten, but yet he couldn't bring himself to be happy at all. He was disheartened by the fact that he couldn't meet Sora, not the way he was now.

He'd managed to meet up with King Mickey on the Clock Tower, and made him promise not to let Sora know what had happened, if ever the king came across Sora on his journey. The King was strongly against it and tried to change Riku's mind, but his heart was decided and no one could change that. The King had no choice but to comply.

He gave the pouch containing munny to the King just as he saw Sora and his friends emerge from the station. Sora and his companions were immediately attacked by swarming Dusks. Understanding Riku's intention of not wanting to show his identity, King Mickey had jumped in alone and helped to ward the Dusks off of his friends. Riku could only watch from afar until the Dusks were all cleared and King Mickey went his way, leaving the Keyblade Master and his companions half clueless.

Riku was about to go his own way as well, but before he left, he overheard Sora's voice.

"-and if the King is here, that means Riku's here too!" Sora said with so much excitement and hope. "I'm gonna go look for Riku. Then he and I can go back to the islands together."

Riku craned his head back, eyeing where his friend was.

"What do ya say, guys? Let's stick together for one more journey."

'_A journey? Looking for me? You call that a journey, Sora?' Riku felt his stomach flutter._

As much as he wanted what Sora wanted, to go back home together, he also didn't want to be found. He took one last look at Sora and couldn't help sharp jabbing pain that stung his heart. Ignoring it, he headed off, still having other errands to run.

'_You won't find me, I'm sorry.' _

X

He still had to protect Namine. Diz had told him to eliminate her, since she'd completed her job when Sora woke up. After all, Nobodies were never suppose to exist in the first place. Riku could feel himself fuming inside.

_How could one even say such a thing…even if it were true?_

Diz's order came just once, and the rest was up to him. It just so happened that Axel, the renegade of Organization XIII, would be capable of taking care of Namine. Riku, knowing what Axel was to Roxas, trusted him with Namine.

Then Riku decided to leave Diz. He went about his own way of keeping watch over Sora, providing hidden assistance if ever need be.

In his own personal darkness, Riku sighed; his wish to kick Sora back home would have to wait.


	10. Ch 7 Into the Ocean

**Chapter 7 into the Ocean**

Heading to school, Sora kept his thoughts positive. It turned out that Riku didn't show up at school, causing his mood to plummet.

Frowning and shoulders sagging dejectedly, Sora mumbled to his redhead friend, "Why, why isn't Riku here, when I'm so…ready to set things right?"

"He's probably sick or something, Sora. After school, you can go to his house," Kairi consoled.

"Hmm." Sora's eyes started to dim as his thoughts slowly turned negative. "Kairi, do you think he's avoiding me?"

"Don't let it bother you. Riku is probably sick," Kairi repeated.

The boy rolled his eyes. "With what? Riku survived a whole year in darkness, now he's getting sick all of the sudden on account of nothing?"

"He's probably still drained after living in the darkness for so long." The girl brought a hand to her chin, speculating. "After all, I really wonder if he ate or even slept well that whole year."

Kairi certainly had a point. What if Riku had just happened to fall victim to fatigue and exhaustion? _But, crap, why now?_ Sora tried to shut out the negative thoughts that didn't paint him in the most positive light, but he couldn't contain himself any longer. Therefore, he promptly forgot about the classes he was supposed to attend, and went directly to Riku's.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sora gulped a little in front of Riku's house. He took determined, but nervous steps up the lawn and tapped the bell. He waited, and it seemed forever while no one come to open the door.

He decided quickly that he could make use of the Keyblade. When nobody was around, he summoned the shining key and tapped its end to the door.

_Click._

He let the Keyblade disappear and turned the door knob, all the while feeling like an intruder. He had never intended to use the Keyblade in such a manner, but this had felt like neccessity.

Taking a deep breath, he called out loud into the residence, "Riku?" He walked in and looked up the stairs leading to Riku's room. "Riku! I'm coming up!" he announced and proceeded up the stairs, advancing to the door he knew so well. "Riku, I'm coming in."

Opening the door, he found that the room was empty. Stepping in, he noticed that Riku's belongings were a little untidy. Being a friend with the owner of the room for ten years, Sora knew that something wasn't right. He couldn't remember the last time that Riku's room was a mess. There were only a few reasons for this, and one of them was because Riku was upset, badly.

The boy searched the house once more and found that Riku's school bag and shoes weren't anywhere to be seen. So, Riku should supposedly be at school, but he was not.

'_Riku's not here,'_ Sora thought bitterly as he shut his eyes tight. _'Where could he be?'_

He had a bad feeling about this. Something told him that Riku might not come back if Sora didn't look for him. Suddenly, he was fully aware of the effect his behavior had on Riku..

There was no question as to where Riku's destination of choice would be.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

He stood in front of the door in the island cave; the very door that he had opened a year ago and let the darkness consume the island, everything and everyone…gone. Back then, he had no power to control the darkness, but this time was different. He knew the process that could be done without danger coming to his island home.

Home…the place didn't feel completely wrong, but he felt himself alien in it.

His oceanic eyes shifted momentarily from the door to his left hand. His arm band didn't do much for cover anymore. The dark marks of tendrils had carved themselves over his arm, exceeding the lengths they normally stayed at. He pulled the arm band off and wasn't surprised to find his wrist completely black. The sinister marks had spread convex like dark blood vessels.

Riku almost felt himself smile…bitterly, as he smelled the darkness emanating from his own body. It resonated his dark thoughts; the convex started to crawl out of his skin, like branching veins, sliding up above his wrist. He knew he didn't have much time.

'_This is it…'_ was the last real thought that crossed his mind, but an afterthought also occurred to him,_ 'I'm sorry, Sora…You and Kairi will be better off without me…'_

Riku reached for the door.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

As he neared the dock of the island, Sora's heart sank when he saw no other boat was around. Not Riku's boat.

'_No, no, no!'_ his mind shouted while he jumped out of his own boat and rushed onto the sand. A wave of panic hit him. Sora knew that something bad was about to happen.

'_Maybe I should fade back into darkness.'_ Riku's words echoed back to him.

Sora felt it, Riku was slipping away. But still, he was near, Sora just knew it. He hurried to the cave, the one place he knew Riku would go.

The last time he had come here was his first time back on the island after his adventure; he had slipped in and found his and Kairi's drawing, which was inserted with a Paopu fruit. He had been smiling then, but he knew he wouldn't be smiling any longer if something happened to Riku.

When he reached the end of the tunnel, he straightened, blue eyes taking in the sight.

His insides twisted into tight knot. His sweat turned cold.

"RIKU!!!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Riku halted slightly.

'_Sora…?' _He shook his head, and smiled bitterly. _'That must have been my imagination. I also had that last time when Ansem took over me too.' _

"Riku!!!"

'_Why does it feel so real…?' _A bitter chuckle escaped his throat, and he tilted his head up, closing his eyes. _'Maybe I just have a strong imagination…how terrible.' _

He proceeded.

One foot had passed the gate, and the other one followed. Ahead of him, above and below, there was nothing but darkness. Something came under him, Riku felt it was that familiar tendrils of shadow snaking around him and welcoming him down into the abyss.

So far, he'd managed to keep the darkness at the door.

Having the dark ribbons pulling him down, particularly at his left wrist which seemed to be resonating with everything that was on this side of the door, Riku didn't mind one bit. He was going to let it drag him down freely, but not before he closed the door.

Without looking back, he reached to pull the door closed, but something suddenly pulled on his hand.

Riku craned his head back in astonishment. His eyes widened and his breath caught violently in his throat, but he managed to force something out.

"Sora…?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What the hell are you doing, Riku!!!?" Sora growled as he latched his hands on to Riku's. His eyes darted about his friend, who was covered with sinister darkness. Though Riku had yet to answer him, Sora could venture a guess as to what was happening.

Riku had opened the door, and obviously was planning to go through it; moreover, he'd been meaning to close it in case Sora hadn't showed up and interrupted his plan. That only meant that Riku was attempting to leave…alone.

Pulling himself out of the thought, Sora felt his friend's hand was slipping. He gripped on to it and planted his feet firmly on the ground. Then, on a closer inspection, he realized that the darkness was pulling Riku away.

"Let go, Sora!"

…Riku was trying to bat his hand away from Sora's.

Sora swayed but kept one hand steady on the door frame, another still latching onto Riku's. Unbelieving and fuming beyond hell, Sora resumed the yelling, "Riku, you moron!! Come back here!!!" He gave a yank but it wasn't enough to draw Riku back. Receiving a pained smile from Riku, Sora was clearly infuriated. "Why are you doing this!?"

"The darkness has got to me, Sora," said Riku as he gave another attempt to jerk his hand from Sora, yet Sora refused to budge. "I can't stay here, Sora! See what's become of me!?" He said so as he shifted his left arm into Sora's line of vision, revealing the swirls of darkness dancing about it, black lines drawing from its end to the abyss below him.

With that, Sora's eyes went wide, his mouth parted in shock slightly. Then he jerked his head, facing directly to his friend, "You lied to me!! You told me it was nothing!"

Riku couldn't be too sure if Sora's reaction had been what he expected. The brunette seemed to be choosing the most inopportune moment to bring that up, about him being a liar. He would have laughed, had he not been feeling so hopeless. Sora's reactions always made him laugh.

He would miss that.

His green eyes took in the sight of Sora shifting further into the door of darkness in order to reach Riku's other wrist. At that, panic burned through him. He didn't want Sora anywhere near his darkness, let alone being in the boundary of darkness itself.

"Damn it, Sora, let GO!!!" he cursed while he tried to shove Sora back into the safe ground behind the open door. Yet still, Sora refused to budge, and Riku had to wonder where the boy had gotten the strength. "I CAN'T stay, Sora! LET GO!!"

Given the tone of finality from Riku, Sora was snapped out of his sole determination to pull Riku back. He regarded to Riku with studying gaze. Riku was serious about this; that much he knew.

"Okay, if you insist to leave that much…" Sora trailed off, his earlier anger faded into a faint unreadable expression.

Riku was only given a moment for relief before Sora looked up at him again and cut in.

"But I'm going with you," Sora finished.

Gaping at Sora's unwavering eyes, Riku's own eyes widened. Realization hit in when Sora was letting go of his other hand which he had been nailing to the doorframe. Both of them shifted slightly according to the darkness' flow when Sora's hand almost left the doorframe.

'_No, no, no, Sora can't…!'_ "Damn!" Riku cursed again as he shoved his hand over Sora's own that could have left the door completely had he not pressed against it. He craned his head back to Sora who was now attaching himself to Riku. "Sora, you have to go back!!!"

"I'm not going back anywhere without you!!" Sora responded feverishly.

"Sora!"

"It's either you're going back with me, or I, going with you!!"

Taken aback, Riku was lost at what to do with the situation. Sora was as stubborn as…Sora. The brunette was clinging to him like a lifeline, and there seemed no way to detach. There was no way Sora would give in, and Riku couldn't bear having Sora anywhere near the darkness.

Speak of the devil, the darkness from below slowly crawled towards Sora. At the sight, Riku willed the crawling darkness away from his friend with his hands; he had the power. "Let go already, Sora! You're not going into the dark!"

"No," Sora enunciated clearly, with a hint of casuality. Riku gawked when the brunette's expression turned relaxed, and the younger one smiled. It dawned on Riku that Sora wasn't unaware that this could be a wrong decision for him. Sora was obviously so certain about this.

"Arg!" Riku vocalized. In final act of desperation, he questioned, "Are you sure about this!? Leaving your home and everything! Leaving Kairi!? _This is your home!"_

"If you're not there, nothing will ever feel like home anymore," with that, Sora smiled brightly.

Riku went mute, torn between dilemmas, but this brain mulled over Sora's words. Was he Sora's home? If that was the case, was Sora his home too? Riku hesitated.

"Make up your mind, Riku. You choose, I'll follow," Sora said with a grin, now he looked completely free of dilemma, much to Riku's chagrin.

"Sora…you…" Riku reprimanded…dejected at last.

That was enough for Sora.

Riku had given up.

Sora's hands left his shirt, only to come back to press against Riku's left wrist where the swirls of darkness danced about. Riku's eyebrows furrowed; he didn't know what Sora was doing. Yet, from the look on Sora's face, the boy might as well not know either, he just acted accordingly to his feelings. Sora turned to Riku with confidence in his eyes.

"Come on, Riku! Together we can do it!"

'_Do…what exactly?'_ Riku's mind wondered. The darkness approaching from his wrist had dissipated slightly when Sora pressed against it. Riku could control this darkness, and with that in mind, he reacted.

Now he understood that Sora was helping him in enclosing the darkness by sharing the part of his light.

He could do this; he must do it, in order to save Sora.

He gave a nod before he focused on his force to will the darkness back, inside of him. They were working together, just like when they closed the door of Kingdom Hearts. But this time, they were on the same side of the door, which alone was most comforting.

When the darkness from Riku's arms cleared, the shadow below them seemed lessen its magnetism to them. They both used the opportunity to break free completely and Riku latched onto the door frame to shove himself along with Sora back through to the side of safety.

By the laws of gravity in the world of the light, he fell on top of Sora, who still kept a firm grip on him. The ordeal was yet to be over, the darkness lurked behind the door, seeming to anticipate crossing the boundary, sure that it eventually would. Both boys wouldn't allow that, for they kicked the door closed instantly from their lying position. A loud thud and a small click echoed in the cave, then a complete silence filled in, save for the sound of their labored breathing.

"…Sora," Riku whispered as he studied Sora who was underneath him. The smaller boy's expression only read weariness, his eyes closed. From Sora's uneven breath, and the coldness emanating from him, Riku wasn't sure if everything was going to be okay. His darkness had been contained with Sora's help. He'd never did that before and feared if it had affected Sora in some way.

Sora, sharing his light to chase away the darkness? Could that be possible? The thing he feared most and the last thing he wanted was Sora, taking in his darkness into himself. Trying to shake the thought off, he pulled himself back, and tugged Sora along, so they were sitting up a bit properly. "Sora, you okay?"

Sora finally let his tired eyes slid open. They regarded Riku's with a wary expression at first, but instantly twisted into fury, to Riku's astonishment. Sora's hands flew across Riku's collar in a firm grip, and he was yanked so hard that he fell backwards with Sora hovering above him.

"What do you think you were doing, Riku!?" Sora yelled, looking beyond anger.

"I-"

"You were going back to the darkness! You were going to leave without me, again!? You were going to leave me behind! You made a promise…a promise, Riku!" Sora cut Riku off when he opened his mouth, not giving the older boy a chance to defend himself. Sora knew he was right; he didn't need Riku's answer.

Taken off guard, Riku was at a loss for words. Still, he managed to say something, "My darkness-" but he was cut off again by his fuming friend.

"You could control your darkness! Together, we could! You should have come to me if you were dealing with that in mind! Why don't you ever come to me!? _Why?"_ With that said, Sora slowly sank to Riku's level, his head pressing to Riku's broad shoulder, his hand started to beat a fist against Riku's chest out of frustration. "I can't believe this." His voice cracked.

Riku let Sora punch his chest for a while until the boy's energy seemed to run out. Only then did Riku noticed something: his shirt was soaking. "Sora?" The smaller boy refused to look up, and it didn't take any longer to figure things out.

His assumption was proven right when the small shoulders of his friend began to shake, along with the audible sobs. Riku grabbed the boy by the shoulders, pulling him back so his could see his face.

The sight sent needles at his chest, hurting far more than when Sora had delivered the countless punches.

Sora was crying, really crying.

And his tears weren't the product of his joy like last time. Riku didn't know what to do.

With uncertainty, he wrapped his arms around the smaller boy. "I'm sorry." He thought no apologies could make up for what he'd done to Sora, both in the pages of history and now.

Unfortunately, his apologies only provoked Sora. It seemed like they had yet to reach the end of their heated argument.

"Stop it! Stop saying you're sorry! You don't feel sorry, Riku! You wouldn't leave me if you did!" Sora shook his head madly, his hands grabbing onto Riku's collar. "I…I thought you cared, I really thought you did. For both Kairi and I. But you don't, you just obviously don't."

Sora's words made Riku's eyebrows twitch. "I do care, Sora! That's why I have to go away. Don't you think this is hard for me too!? You just don't get it. My darkness-"

"Your darkness doesn't mean a frigging thing here! You'll be _fine!_" Sora cut him off again.

This time, Riku lifted one hand to cover Sora's mouth. His touch that felt Sora's face damp with tears felt so wrong to him, but he had to talk, "Now shut up and listen to me so you can get this through that thick, stubborn skull of yours! I won't be fine! I can't control this whole darkness inside of me by myself, Sora! Even if we could control it together, I can't guarantee that we could always work it out. And these feelings I'm harboring for you don't help! If something happens, it's going to be directed at you of all people! I can't take that risk! Damn it! Why can't you just get it!?-" Riku hadn't finished, but Sora was clawing at his hand now. It was only then that Riku realized the boy looked suffocating. He quickly let go.

After a relatively short period, Sora recovered, he quickly summed up, "Does that mean…no one else is affected, only me, if something happens?"

"Yes, you!" Riku pressed.

"Then you have no reason to leave!" Sora exclaimed, to Riku's astonishment, with a grin. Then he proceeded to clumsily wipe off his tears stains with the back of his hands.

Riku's jaw dropped slightly. Hadn't Sora listened at all? "God, Sora, you can't expect me to live my life here without foreboding that I would someday put you in danger!"

"No, it won't happen!" Sora immediately said. When Riku looked far from convinced, Sora slapped his hands down to the ground and leaned towards Riku, glowering up at the taller boy. "Because I-" and then he couldn't bring himself to say it. Those words he'd been meaning to say. It would settle everything. All that Riku had been worried about and had feared of the future, would all go away if Riku only knew his feelings were returned.

Sora deadpanned, _'Why the heck can't I say it!?' _

Riku sighed as he regarded Sora with dejected expression. "Could you live with it? With me…who could hurt you anytime. Could you, Sora?"

"That won't be the case-"

"Could you?" Riku reiterated forcefully.

"Yeah, I could," Sora gave answer at last, and added, "Still, that won't be the case."

"Hmm," Riku responded as his expression turned sullen. That kind of expression sent Sora's heart aching, yet he still couldn't bring himself to say those words.

The younger of the two could only fidget while Riku crossed his arms and backed away slightly. It took a moment before Sora realized that Riku was studying something that his eyes happened to land on while Sora's gaze was averted. Sora followed the direction and saw the drawing upon the wall.

The drawing of him and Kairi, handing each other Paopu fruits.

"It's just a drawing, Riku."

Riku arched an eyebrow, turning back to look at the small boy.

"That's just the drawing. But…this place…is our secret, remember? Just ours, you and me." Sora bit his lip, not really knowing where this was going, he was just saying things that came into his mind, while, in fact, he should be saying more important things.

"That…was six years ago," the silver-haired boy responded.

They both remembered. The two of them used to call this cave their secret place. Riku had found it, and Sora was the first and only friend that Riku revealed it to. Later, Sora had brought Kairi, of course with Riku's agreement. Then came Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie. This place wasn't somewhere for just the two of them anymore.

"Still it looks pretty much the same to me…means the same to me," Sora confirmed.

"Hmm? I thought-" Abruptly, Riku brought his hand up and covered his mouth then looked away.

It was obvious to Sora that Riku almost let something slipped, and this time he had guessed it. "Yeah, I know I brought Kairi in, but-" _'It had already changed…'_

There was a long silence before Riku heaved a big sigh and patted on Sora's head, smiling finally. "Sora, you don't have to say anything. Don't take it that you have to always make me feel better."

Sora looked up at his friend then turned away; the pavement seemed suddenly interesting to look at. He tried again, "Look, about yesterday…" He started but couldn't bring himself to finish it. The brunet gulped and his hands fisted to the side of this body.

Riku must have noticed the nervousness in his friend. "Sora, I understand perfectly. It's not like I'm going to do anything. Just forget it." He said blandly, and not a hint of feeling could be detected in his expressionless voice. That scared Sora.

"_No, no, no."_ Sora shut his eyes tight. "No, you don't."

"I don't what?"

'_I want to tell you, Riku. Don't make me hesitate now.' _

"Sora?"

The brunette had been glaring at the rocks in cave as if he could melt them, before he shut his eyes tight and began. "Riku. I looked for you and stopped you because…I need you to understand that…"

Riku waited for his friend to finish, but Sora never did. The boy only looked anywhere but at Riku.

With another groan, Riku started to head out of the cave. "I understand, Sora. I gave you a hard time doing what I did yesterday. But I won't do it again, nothing close to it. And I'll stay, as long as you want. So maybe we can just forget about it and-"

"No, no, no!" yelled Sora. "You always say things by yourself and walk off on me. You don't understand!"

The silver-haired boy started a bit at that, and he rested his hand on the cave wall. Now he was confused, what had gotten into Sora? Wasn't he satisfied that he had decided to stay? Then Sora brought that subject up and Riku didn't want to deal it, not when it could take its toll on his darkness…and Sora. He'd already been a walking zombie after what he'd done to Sora and what Sora had done to him yesterday. He didn't want to lose a screw again.

"Enlighten me then," Riku requested, putting in a hint of sarcasm on account of his slight annoyance.

There was another long silence during which neither boy moved.

Until Riku heard Sora muttered audibly, "It's dark and damp in here, let's get out first." Then Sora walked up to his friend and urged him out into the sun.

In the open space, Riku felt a cool breeze from the ocean sooth him. Sure, staying in the cave too long didn't do anyone any good.

"Where's your boat, Riku?" Sora asked airily. Riku didn't answer. From the look on Sora's face, he knew the brunette knew the explanation. Riku hadn't planned to come back again, so why should he care to tie up the boat?

"I'll give you a lift," Sora offered, and added, "Then you have to get a new boat."

"Fine, let's go back."

"Not yet." Sora said, "Let's stay here for a while. Can we?"

Riku could have been confused at Sora's unreasonable acts, but his heart felt at peace when he watched Sora start running down the beach and down to the water. The boy turned back and waved at him, calling for Riku to come too.

Sora's behavior took him back to where they were still much younger. No Heartless, no Nobodies, no Keyblade, no Kingdom Hearts, and no Kairi either. It had just been the two of them since what seemed like forever. Suddenly, everything felt right. His foul mood had already been forgotten.

Letting out a soft smile, which he never thought it would be there at a moment like this, he followed the boy. He came to a halt at the wet sand, not stepping into the water, and looked out to where the water leveled at Sora's thighs.

While wondering at Sora's weird behavior, Riku had been too obsessed at his own thoughts to notice the nervousness on Sora's face. The brunette was tensed all over with a desire to jump into the water. Cool water of the blue ocean always boosted his mood; he liked that.

Just as he liked Riku, but not nearly comparable.

His heart pounded within his chest and he felt his body weighing down on him. With a little push on one foot at the sandy ground below, he hauled to steady himself on the water's surface. His sky blue eyes mirrored the sky above him before he tipped them closed. "I like you, Riku," he recited to himself, feeling calm with the water that enveloped him.

"Sora! You're going to go too far!" Somewhere far, Riku's voice warned him. "You're not thinking of feeding yourself to the sharks, are you!?"

With a small spin, Sora flipped and got himself steadied in the water, finding his feet no longer touch the ground below as he was far off from the beach. He looked back at Riku.

"Riku!"

"What!?"

"I like you!"

There was a gasp which Sora couldn't possibly hear.

"It's…been a while, maybe it always has been, and I hadn't really realized it! But I do now!"

A long silence settled in, save for the sound of the waves.

"…wha?"

Sora watched as Riku's mouth dropped open slightly, oceanic eyes stared widely back at him. There…he had said it, finally.

Riku only stared at him and not saying anything or moving at all, but, Sora could see that Riku didn't look particularly convinced.

It made Sora afraid.

He knew water would make him feel better.

Sora slid under the surface.

It was only when the brunette was out of sight did Riku begin to move and voiced out, "Sora?" He waited for the brunette to appear again, but it didn't seem like that was going to happen soon. Riku sauntered closer, his feet dragging into the water.

A minute passed and anxiousness was welling up inside of Riku with every lapping wave. "Sora! This isn't funny!" With that said, Riku dove into the water.

Under the clear water, Riku swam until he could see the brunette there, shutting his eyes tight, and curling up into a ball to weigh himself in order to keep his body under the water. Riku reached his hands under Sora's arms and brought them both up.

They broke the surface. Sora filled his lungs with air, still supported by Riku's arms that held him firmly above the water. He shook his head swiftly, little droplets flinging every which way, and opened his eyes, seeing his friend that he had just confessed to. Riku looked just soaked as he was worried.

"What on earth were you doing!?" Riku shouted into his face.

"Getting into…the water?" the boy answered simply.

"That's not an answer!" The silver-haired boy retreated one of his hands from Sora's arm and hit him on his brunette head, spikes damp but still defying gravity, with a small force. "I'd thought you'd drowned!"

As if the force took effect, Sora dipped his face half into the water, eyes looking down. He said something, but his words only came out as bubbles on the water surface.

"You look like a dying fish and you look silly," Riku commented, unable to contain his somewhat relieved chuckle.

Blue eyes glowered up at him. Sora got his face out of the water, blurting, "I was afraid! You got that!? I never expected things would turn out this way. Not since…forever! And I'd just confessed to you, then you made that face, and hadn't expected that!"

Riku was taken aback. "You were serious?"

"Wha…" Sora worded, he looked unbelieving, and readied to yell. And yell he did, "Of course, I was serious! You thought I'd say that as a joke!? That was what I've been meaning to tell you since I dragged you back from that door! So you don't have to worry about your darkness anymore!" Then his voice dropped lower, audible between the two of them. "Since we…basically share the same feelings, right?" He looked up, and Riku's expression stung his heart. "Riku?"

"Are you sure, Sora?" Riku asked, his voice unusually calm, his eyes darkened a bit by the weight of importance around the subject.

"Wha-? Why are you asking if I'm sure…" Sora said, almost shakily. Did Riku doubt him?

Riku brought one hand up and tapped a finger at Sora's chest which was well under the water. "Are you sure that what you said is true…what you feel for me? What if you were just saying that to make me feel better? You, of all people, have no ability to lie, that I know, but what if you want to prevent me from being dragged back into the dark so badly that you lie to yourself too?"

Sora couldn't believe what he'd heard. Riku didn't believe him, did he? After all the courage he'd had to summon up. So this was how it felt when Sora himself said he didn't believe Riku earlier. Were his feelings artificial and crafted just to prevent Riku from going away?

"No." His answer came out firmly, straight from his heart. "I'm not lying to anyone, not you, not myself."

Riku observed his friend for a long while. He knew Sora, he knew when he was uncertain and when he was resolute. Still, he had to ask, "How do you know?"

That further question incited Sora. He grabbed a hold of Riku's soaked shirt by the collar. While Riku anticipated that Sora would yank it and yell into his face again, Sora had only pulled at it, bringing their faces close and their lips touched.

It had only been seconds when Sora pulled away and his head rested on Riku's shoulder. He entirely missed the expression on Riku's face that would have amused him with wide eyes and a bit of red over his cheekbones.

"I know it because I realized it before I found you at that door, you jerk," Sora muttered irritably.

"Oh…" Riku said as his mind processed an understanding. "Sorry then…for doubting you…"

"You better _really_ be," Sora drawled. "Why do you have to have so much doubt, Riku? It doesn't suit you. Riku should only be packed with curiosity, not doubt."

"That's…" Riku began as he started to toy with Sora's damp spikes. "-because you pushed me away in the first place." He felt Sora shudder against him, and that raised his doubt again. "Why, Sora?"

Sora didn't answer. They just stayed there, Sora clinging to Riku, floating steadily in the water.

"…Sora."

"…"

"Sora." Riku grabbed Sora's small shoulder, intending to get the clingy little thing off him first. The said boy made a small sound of protest. As much as Riku wanted Sora close, he still needed an answer. With a little force, he finally got Sora off of him and understood why Sora refused to leave the earlier position.

It was a wonder that Sora hadn't burst his head off yet due to the amount of blood in his face. Riku gaped at him for a while, feeling that he liked the sight. He smirked, an expression which sent Sora to pulling away and swimming back to the beach. The silver-haired boy followed, still smirking.

It resembled the scene of them back on the Island after the final battle. The only difference was that now Kairi, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey weren't here with them. Here and now was only the two of them, alone.

"Sora! Hey, Sora!" Riku called out, but the boy didn't turn. "I do believe you, but…why did you push me away?"

"….That! It already passed. Just drop it, Riku!" Sora yelled back, turning a little to the side while he still kept going ahead.

"Don't I have the right to know?" the older boy asked and his voice dropped a little lower. "Sora…it hurts…"

Sora already met the firm ground to stand on; he sloshed out of the water and spoke with a sulky voice. "It's nothing. I was just shocked…."

"You really are bad at lying, Sora. I always see through your lies, like I am right now."

"Then why don't you see it when I'm telling you the truth: that I…like you!"

"That's a different story; you didn't believe me earlier either."

"But you always get away with decorated lies, teases, and mocking! You're such a smart ass that a dumb person like me can't follow!"

"Keep on topic. Why did you push me away?"

Sora stood in silence on the shore, back turned to Riku, while Riku's feet were still in the water and he waited for the answer that seemed so difficult to deliver.

"Sora…"

"Fine! Fine! I'll tell you!" Sora whirled around, hands fisted into tight balls.

"Well?" Riku stepped out of the water, but decided not to advance any more; the boy needed some space and he understood that feeling perfectly. But why was Sora blushing like hell?

"I pushed you away because…I couldn't breathe!!" Shutting his eyes tight, Sora yelled at the top of his lungs. "You want to suffocate me or something!?"

Lips parted slightly, Riku stared wide-eyed once more at the reddened brunette who glowered.

"You…you couldn't breathe?" Riku uttered. "That's the reason you pushed me away? Am I…that rough?"

"Yeah!"

"But…it was only seconds…you held your breathe under the water for more than a minute."

"That's different!! I'm not a…frigging kisser like you! And I've never…!" Sora still kept his voice loud while blaming it all on his friend.

Then came a chuckle.

"Yeah! Laugh it off, will you!? I knew you'd laugh!" Sora threw his hands into the air in desperation, his earlier timid behavior now gone due to anger and embarrassment.

Finally, Riku stepped toward Sora, who still puffed with intense emotion. Riku had had his question answered, and it didn't come end up being as bad as he'd anticipated. In fact, it was quite amusing.

Things were suddenly brighter and lighter, a stark contrast to the start of the day.

But, there was no end to this, Riku still had to clarify.

"Sora, you know I'm not a big kisser. I've never…"

The younger one looked away. "Yeah, I know."

"So I guess I'm still good at everything?"

"…You're such an arrogant bastard," Sora commented.

In response to that, Riku advanced on Sora. He pulled Sora close by the waist and leered. "Let's see how arrogant I can be." He shifted closer, causing Sora to shut his eyes tight.

Then laughter filled the air, jerking Sora to his sense as what Riku was up to. He trembled with annoyance and growled between his gritted teeth. "It's not funny!"

Riku's laughter faded into a smile, a genuine one. The very one that Sora hadn't seen in years. Riku brought his hand to the nape of Sora's neck and drew him closer so their foreheads touched. He couldn't help it; teasing Sora was one of the most entertaining things in the worlds. Before Sora could react, he buried the boy's chin on his shoulder and rested his head on the crook of Sora's neck.

"I won't leave you," when it seemed tense to his tongue, Riku added, "I should have known that I might not survive a day without you entertaining me with your dim-witted-ness."

For the first time, Sora wasn't offended with such an accusation. Riku had promised that he'd stay, that was all that mattered.

"Am I holding you too tight? Are you suffocating again?"

"Hey!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

How's that? At first, I didn't think about Riku's leaving. I wrote that Sora arrived at the scene before Riku opened the door. But in that case, there'd be nothing much, so I made this instead.

I even thought about them being dragged down into Realm of Darkness, that would fit the title of this fic. But I planned for a good ending. So I'd probably do an alternate ending in separate fic, with the two unable to escape the dark.

Anyone knows a song 'into the ocean' by blue october? It's great! Try it out.


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